Why Chinese People Say Cold cucumber slice

[EN] Origin: This phrase emerged from Chinese restaurant menus in English-speaking countries, particularly in the 1990s-2000s when many small family-run Chinese eateries relied on staff with limited English skills. The earliest documented use appears on online menu databases and forum posts about “Engrish” signs, circa 2005. It likely started in a takeout shop in New York or London Chinatown, then spread through photo-sharing on platforms like Flickr and Reddit as a humorous example of Chinglish. The specific phrase “Cold cucumber slice” (as opposed to “cucumber salad” or “smashed cucumber”) is a calque of the Chinese structure, omitting articles and using a singular noun. [中文] 来源：这个表达源于英语国家的中餐馆菜单，约在1990–2000年代，很多家庭式中餐馆老板英语水平有限，用逐词翻译法写菜单。最早有记录的案例出现在2005年前后的在线菜单数据库和“中式英语”笑话论坛。它很可能起于纽约或伦敦唐人街的外卖店，之后随Flickr和Reddit上的“Engrish”照片分享而传播，成为一种搞笑文化符号。该短语（而非“cucumber salad”或“smashed cucumber”）是中文“凉拌黄瓜”的直接语法搬移——缺冠词、用单数，是典型的中式英语菜单词汇。