lavita

I came across this expression the other day but couldn't figure out its exact meaning. Anybody help me out?

nothin

There is an old Chinese saying: A holy bird(凤凰) flies out of a remote, undeveloped mountain area, which means a man who was born in a poor family becomes successful (often rich) later.

But “凤凰男” is a newly coined term, which hints a successful man with a poor family background usually can't get rid of the bad habits and backward ideologies brought from his background, and when he marries a girl from a better family background, conflictions will arise.

Abraham

凤凰男 means ugly duckling. it refers to a man who was born in a poor family, but who worked hard and finally found a good job in a big city. He used to be an ugly duckling, but through his hard work he becomes a swan. But in English, "ugly duckling" usually refers to the least handsome/beautiful child in a family.

孔雀女silk-stocking lady is the opposite words to 凤凰男.

孔雀女 refers to a girl from a big city and a rich family. Many such girls have been brought up under their parents' care and have yet to experience one of life's big storms. In English, we could say that they have been "sheltered", and that they were "born with a silver spoon in their mouth".

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Gale

if there is a 凤凰男 and 孔雀女， is there a 凤凰 girl or 孔雀 boy?

John_birds

Of couree, everything is oppsite. However, people in China don't use such way to call people. 孔雀 symbolize beauty in China. So people always describe a charming girl as 孔雀. In China, 孔雀 has become a little feminize. It's not very polite to use such words on a boy.
In another word, 凤凰 is also usually described a girl and very feminize. But people can also understand use it in an another way, to describe a boy who has a poor background to be very successful by his hard working. Thus you will here people in China call a girl 凤凰 girl.