strawberry generation

English

Etymology

Calque from Chinese 草莓族 (cǎoméizú), so called as people of the generation bruise easily like strawberries.

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /ˈstɹɔːbɛɹi ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈɹeɪʃən/

Proper noun

strawberry generation

1. (Singapore, Taiwan) The generation born in the 1980s, characterised as effete and unable to cope with hard work and the pressures of modern life.
   • 2012 June 21, Shawn Tan, “In defence of Gen Y & the strawberry generation – Why do Singaporeans hate each other so much?”, in The Temasek Times‎^[1], retrieved 2015-10-31:

     I can spend all day giving retorts and arguing my case, but I thought this was a good chance to speak up for the much maligned “strawberry generation” and wanted to make a much more different point to a much bigger problem.

   • [2013 August 6, Goh Chin Lian, Andrea Ong, “The Singapore worker: 20s go-getters, 30s & 40s in lower gear”, in The Straits Times‎^[2], retrieved 2015-10-31:

     Singapore’s young workers have been called the strawberry generation: easily bruised by work and life.]

   • [2015 August 9, Janice Heng, “The Pioneers' improbable heirs”, in The Straits Times‎^[3], retrieved 2015-10-31:

     Like our peers in Taiwan, we are dubbed the "strawberry generation" for bruising easily under pressure.]