“Digging” Someone Out of Bed? Taiwan’s Hilarious Verb Has 180,000 People Laughing

In Taiwan, getting someone out of bed can sound less like waking them and more like excavating them. A Threads user said that when their mother woke them, they naturally described it as being “dug up” rather than simply woken up.

The expression quickly resonated online. Users said people who refuse to get out of bed can seem planted in the mattress and require real digging. Others joked that a blanket rolled up like soil makes the phrase perfectly appropriate. One commenter added that Taiwan is “sweet-potato island,” so digging people out seemed reasonable.

The discussion, which passed 180,000 views, expanded into a catalogue of forceful and playful Taiwanese verbs. An uncontrollable child may need to be “carried” home. A report that will not write itself has to be “given birth to.” A friend who is picked up along the way is “snagged” and taken along.

The word choices continued into everyday tasks. People do not simply cut a pineapple, they “kill” it. They do not press a button to use the microwave, they “hit” the microwave. Even boarding a bus or train can involve “beeping” a card. Each compact verb adds physical force and emotion, turning ordinary speech into a small piece of theater.