There’s no point in selling the wine if it’s dry.

"If the wine is dry and sold," is a Hokkien saying, which means "What should I do if the wine is not sold after drinking it?"

This sentence originated from Taiwan. It is a marketing method devised by local hotel owners to solve the problem of slow sales of wine. In the local area, hotel owners will place some wine bottles in the hotel, and the words "If the wine is dry, it will be sold without" written on the bottles. When customers drink in the hotel, if they finish drinking, they can put the empty bottles in the designated location, and the hotel owner is responsible for recycling the empty bottles and selling them to the waste collection station.

This marketing method was very successful and spread quickly in the local area. Later, the phrase "if the wine is dry, sell it for nothing" has become a popular mantra, which means "empty bottles with no other uses can be used to exchange money." This sentence is also often used to describe people or things that are useless, or to describe someone who has little value.

However, this sentence has now evolved into a humorous expression and is widely used in various situations. For example, at concerts, fans will use this sentence to express their support and love for their idols; in life, people will also use this sentence to describe things or people that are of little use.

Mantra in Hokkien

1. "三小": This mantra means "what" in Hokkien and is usually used to answer other people's questions or express one's own opinions. For example, when someone asks: "Have you eaten?" the answer is: "Sanxiaola (what?)."

2. "Thick wine and thin vegetables": This mantra means "good wine" in Hokkien "Bad dish" means that the food is not delicious, but the wine is delicious. This is because in southern Fujian, people pay great attention to drinking and think the quality of wine is more important than food. Therefore, when the food is not delicious, people will use this sentence to express their dissatisfaction.

3. "Take your time": This mantra means "take your time" in Hokkien and is usually used to persuade others not to be impatient or act too hastily. For example, when others encounter difficulties because they are eager for success, they will use this sentence to comfort them.