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[xwarrior]

Does anybody know the derivation of the expression 'A for A' as used in China?

PS I was having a discussion with a Hangzhou resident about the various methods of paying the bill/check at a restaurant. He assured me that the girls of Wenzhou are the only ones in China who are brought up to go 'A for A.' He said it was an old custom of that area.

[Fozzwaldus]

I've only ever heard it said as A-A. And I have no idea of its origins, sorry.

[MK]

Hmm, I remember hearing that expression a couple of times.   I like a good linguistic mystery, but a quick search reveals...confusion (and possible Hong Kong / Latin roots)!

AA制 was coined in Hong Kong, probably a couple of decades ago. It was in common use among Cantonese speakers in the Pearl River Delta more than a decade ago, and has since entered Mandarin, obviously to quite some degree to appear in a text book. The term's etymology is based on the concept of "I pay amount A and you pay amount A" (i.e. the same amount). In natural English, we would probably descride it as "you pay amount x and I'll pay amount x" (i.e. x = x).

the AA is latin, meaning each/every.

Symbol: aa, āa (of ingredients in pharmaceutical prescriptions) in equal quantities; of each.

Sources:

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/14777-meaning-of-aa%E5%88%B6/

http://www.italki.com/answers/question/68868.htm

http://baike.baidu.com/view/2930.htm