낮져밤이, 낮이밤져 (마녀사냥)

The meme is called '낮져밤이' (Nat-jyeo-bam-i) and '낮이밤져' (Nat-i-bam-jyeo), often associated with the TV show '마녀사냥' (Witch Hunt). For "낮져밤이," an English speaker might approximate the pronunciation as "Nah-juh-bahm-ee." For "낮이밤져," it could be pronounced "Nah-ee-bahm-juh." The parenthetical "(마녀사냥)" (Ma-nyeo-sa-nyang) refers to the TV show "Witch Hunt."

This meme first emerged in "yeocho communities" (female-dominated online communities) and then began to spread to other online communities. It gained significant mainstream popularity after being introduced on the JTBC program 'Witch Hunt' (마녀사냥). 'Witch Hunt' aired from August 2, 2013, to December 18, 2015, and during this period, the phrase became widely known as an official question on the show. The meme was most actively used from late 2013 to 2015.

'낮져밤이' (Nat-jyeo-bam-i) is an abbreviation of '낮에는 져주고 밤에는 이긴다' (defeats during the day, wins at night). It's a slang term referring to someone who acts gentle and kind during the day but transforms into a femme fatale or a "manly man" at night. This expression aims for 'gap moe,' highlighting the contrasting personas between day and night. Its opposite, '낮이밤져' (Nat-i-bam-jyeo), describes someone who acts tsundere or picky during the day but becomes shy and passive at night. There are also derivative terms like '낮이밤이' (Nat-i-bam-i, wins day and night) and '낮져밤져' (Nat-jyeo-bam-jyeo, loses day and night). Here, "wins" (이긴다) signifies a dominant and active attitude, while "loses" (진다) implies an easygoing and passive attitude.

This meme originated in "yeocho communities" (female-dominated online communities) and later spread widely among young people, both male and female, through the program 'Witch Hunt.' It was frequently used in discussions about dating and sex, and among women, it was sometimes used to describe ideal partners or dating styles.

• On the 'Witch Hunt' program, guests were often officially asked, "Are you 낮져밤이, 낮져밤져, 낮이밤져, or 낮이밤이?"
• Hyundai I'PARK Mall used '낮저밤e' as the name for an event when opening its online shopping mall.
• The Lotte Mart logo has been described as '낮롯밤이' (Lotte by day, E-Mart by night) because it appears as Lotte Mart during the day but resembles E-Mart at night.

• Two-panel comics utilizing this meme were popular, especially on Facebook.
• In historical anecdotes, the meme was applied to the scholar Yi Hwang (Toegye) as '낮퇴계 밤퇴계' (Day Toegye, Night Toegye), suggesting he was a noble Confucian scholar by day but a passionate person at night.

'낮져밤이' primarily carries sexual connotations and is considered a type of 'sex joke' (섹드립). Therefore, some people may find this expression offensive, and it could potentially be perceived as sexual harassment. Extreme caution is advised when using it.