<p>I ask my smart and beautiful friend, 晓云。She immediately said:</p>
<p>抱歉，我想說他壓軸。<br />
Sorry, I wanted to say, he was the greatest!</p>
<p>on a notion of &quot;save the best till last&quot;</p>
<p>The plot <a href="https://hanyu.baidu.com/zici/s?wd=%E5%8E%8B%E8%BD%B4&amp;query=%E5%8E%8B%E8%BD%B4%E7%9A%84%E6%84%8F%E6%80%9D&amp;srcid=28236&amp;from=kg0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">thickens</a>:</p>
<p>Contrary to popular belief 压轴 actually doesn't mean: &quot;the finale, the last and, presumably best, act&quot;</p>
<blockquote>
<p>压轴”原本是戏曲名词，指一场折子戏演出的倒数第二个剧目。在现代社会中有很多应用，比如“压轴戏”，但压轴也是人们知识的一个盲区。“压轴”本意是指倒数第二个节目，而不是人们常说的倒数第一个，倒数第一个节目称“压台”。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>“压轴”本意是指倒数第二个节目, 而不是人们常说的倒数第一个</p>
<p>倒数第一个节目称“压台”。<br />
counting backwards, the first item is called “压台”。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-30T08:02:19.527Z
I learnt this word when I was reading Taipei People by Pai-Hsien Young and it seems to mean both. According to the Cross-Straits dictionary as well, like the KEY dictionary I cited above, it seems to first have meant the second but last performance, but in modern times *also* means highlight / last performance in general. "泛指最精彩、令人注目的結尾或最後出現的事件。" You're answer makes sense to the scene in general so I will mark it as the answer to my question.
timseb
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-30T07:18:53.930Z
2022-07-30T07:18:53.930Z
Pedroski
<p>No matter whether the 压轴戏 is the second to the last play or the last play,
压轴戏 is usually played by the most famous/important actors in the group (戏班挂头牌的主要演员), so the sentence goes as &quot;抱歉，我想說他<strong>是/挂头牌</strong>&quot; - &quot;Sorry, I wanted to say he is the best (number one).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-30T17:57:05.190Z
2022-07-30T17:57:05.190Z
r13
<p>In a drama I am watching, a guy is being called out for being dressed like Michael Jackson at a school reunion. He mentions that his invitation card said it would be a 90s celebrity cosplay party. The host then says this, in passing:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>抱歉，我想說他壓軸</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I have found 壓軸 in dictionaries and I have also encountered it before in novels, where it has made sense to me. Here it trips me up though. Dictionary entry (in English):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>1 grand finale (last and best item in a theatrical programme), ≪pièce de résistance≫<br>
2 {in former times} the next to last act in a theatrical programme</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-29T21:01:39.677Z
Seems to be an incomplete sentence.
joehua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-29T21:34:35.437Z
She doesn't say anything else, and she is not cut off by another speaker.  

Speaker #1: 大芳給我的邀請函上面有著裝要求啊. 90年代巨星風啊.  
Speaker #2: 抱歉，我想說他壓軸  

The conversation then moves on to another topic.
timseb
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-30T01:17:44.053Z
It is important to know what Speaker #2 said that drew this response from Speaker #1; who was "he", and what type of dress he wore, which might have been excel from the 着装要求.
r13
<meaning-in-context>
What does 壓軸 mean in the following context?
# What does 壓軸 mean in the following context?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-29)

In a drama I am watching, a guy is being called out for being dressed like Michael Jackson at a school reunion. He mentions that his invitation card said it would be a 90s celebrity cosplay party. The host then says this, in passing:

> 抱歉，我想說他壓軸

I have found 壓軸 in dictionaries and I have also encountered it before in novels, where it has made sense to me. Here it trips me up though. Dictionary entry (in English):

> 1 grand finale (last and best item in a theatrical programme), ≪pièce de résistance≫  
> 2 {in former times} the next to last act in a theatrical programme

**Tags:** meaning-in-context
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Seems to be an incomplete sentence.  
> **username_0**: She doesn't say anything else, and she is not cut off by another speaker.    Speaker #1: 大芳給我的邀請函上面有著裝要求啊. 90年代巨星風啊.   Speaker #2: 抱歉，我想說他壓軸    The conversation then moves on to another topic.  
> **username_2**: It is important to know what Speaker #2 said that drew this response from Speaker #1; who was "he", and what type of dress he wore, which might have been excel from the 着装要求.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-07-30. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

I ask my smart and beautiful friend, 晓云。She immediately said:

抱歉，我想說他壓軸。  
Sorry, I wanted to say, he was the greatest!

on a notion of "save the best till last"

The plot [thickens](https://hanyu.baidu.com/zici/s?wd=%E5%8E%8B%E8%BD%B4&query=%E5%8E%8B%E8%BD%B4%E7%9A%84%E6%84%8F%E6%80%9D&srcid=28236&from=kg0):

Contrary to popular belief 压轴 actually doesn't mean: "the finale, the last and, presumably best, act"

> 压轴”原本是戏曲名词，指一场折子戏演出的倒数第二个剧目。在现代社会中有很多应用，比如“压轴戏”，但压轴也是人们知识的一个盲区。“压轴”本意是指倒数第二个节目，而不是人们常说的倒数第一个，倒数第一个节目称“压台”。

“压轴”本意是指倒数第二个节目, 而不是人们常说的倒数第一个

倒数第一个节目称“压台”。  
counting backwards, the first item is called “压台”。

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I learnt this word when I was reading Taipei People by Pai-Hsien Young and it seems to mean both. According to the Cross-Straits dictionary as well, like the KEY dictionary I cited above, it seems to first have meant the second but last performance, but in modern times *also* means highlight / last performance in general. "泛指最精彩、令人注目的結尾或最後出現的事件。" You're answer makes sense to the scene in general so I will mark it as the answer to my question.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-07-30. Score: 1

No matter whether the 压轴戏 is the second to the last play or the last play,
压轴戏 is usually played by the most famous/important actors in the group (戏班挂头牌的主要演员), so the sentence goes as "抱歉，我想說他**是/挂头牌**" - "Sorry, I wanted to say he is the best (number one).


---

