And now, it's time for China 24's special series 'Chinese Terminology'. We try to give you a sense of what China's reform and opening up process is all about through popular local phrases. Today, our Jonathan Betz looks at the term 坑爹 or 'drag in one's dad'.

In 2011, a hit-and-run incident in northeast China turned into a national story. After killing one student and injuring another, the young perpetrator threatened the victim with consequences if she pressed charges. That was already bad enough. But the young man also had to drag in his dad, frantically bragging about how important his father is.

This approach only landed him in prison quicker. And it cost his dad his position. The incident disgraced the father's name more than the trouble-maker's as netizens sarcastically used it online: "one can work hard, one can study hard, but that's no match for having a powerful dad like Li Gang." Thus, the expression 'drag in one's dad' was later used to describe putting someone else in trouble or a difficult situation.

Though it can mean anyone - not necessarily dads - its origin has never been forgotten. Whenever similar cases appear, people still associate them to the name Li Gang. By highlighting traditional problems such as abuse of privilege and corruption, the expression also serves as deterrence - more than it might seem. It left society more alert to social unfairness and helped check such problems. Nowadays, the expression is more often used humorously to describe being caught by surprise.