Z-list describes a person — usually someone in show business — who is at the very bottom of the fame ladder. It is an adjective: a Z-list actor, a Z-list celebrity, a Z-list party.

Z-list Z-list describes形容 a person一個人 — usually通常是 someone in show business演藝圈的人 — at the very bottom of the fame ladder站在名氣階梯的最底層。 It它 is是 an adjective形容詞： a Z-list actor a Z-list actor（十八線演員）、 a Z-list celebrity a Z-list celebrity（十八線名人）、 a Z-list party a Z-list party（十八線的派對）。

The word comes from the way English speakers rank famous people by letters. An A-list actor is a big star, the kind who can carry a film. B-list is one step down, and so on. Z is the last letter of the alphabet, so Z-list means "as low as it goes".

The word這個字 comes from來自 English speakers英文使用者 rank famous people by letters用字母幫名人排等級 the way的做法。 An A-list actor A-list 的演員 is是 a big star大明星， the kind who can carry a film那種一個人扛得起一部電影的。 B-list B-list is one step down往下一階， and so on以此類推。 Z Z is是 the last letter of the alphabet字母表的最後一個字母， so所以 Z-list Z-list means意思是 "as low as it goes"「低到不能再低」。

It is not a real ranking that anyone keeps in an office somewhere; it is a joke that people now use seriously. When you say Z-list, you are saying something unkind, and you mean to.

It它 is not不是 a real ranking一份真的排名， that anyone keeps in an office somewhere沒有人在哪間辦公室裡保管著它； it它 is是 a joke一個玩笑， that people now use seriously只是大家現在都認真地在用。 When you say當你說 Z-list Z-list， you are saying something unkind你就是在說不客氣的話， and you mean to而且是故意的。

There are two flavours of unkind here, and they are worth keeping apart. Sometimes it just means "hardly famous at all" — a Z-list singer plays small rooms and nobody outside her city knows her. But more often it carries a sharper meaning: this person IS famous, quite famous even, but for nothing worth being famous for. They were on a reality show. They married someone important. They said something stupid online and everyone shared it. The complaint is not about the size of the fame but about the emptiness of it.

There are two flavours of unkind here這裡的不客氣有兩種口味， and they are worth keeping apart值得分開來看。 Sometimes有時 it它 just means只是說 "hardly famous at all"「幾乎完全不紅」 — a Z-list singer一個 Z-list 歌手 plays small rooms在小場地唱， and nobody outside her city knows her她的城市以外沒有人認識她。 But但 more often更常見的是 it它 carries a sharper meaning帶著更尖的意思： this person這個人 IS famous「是」紅的， quite famous even甚至還蠻紅的， but for nothing worth being famous for但紅的理由沒有一樣值得。 They他們 were on上過 a reality show實境節目。 They他們 married someone important跟某個重要人物結了婚。 They他們 online在網路上 said something stupid說了蠢話， and everyone shared it結果大家瘋傳。 The complaint這裡抱怨的 is not about不是 the size of the fame名氣的大小， but about而是 the emptiness of it名氣的空洞。

British newspapers and gossip writers use this word a lot; it feels very British, though people elsewhere understand it. It is informal. Do not use it in a school essay or a news report, and be careful using it about a real person you know — it is close to an insult.

British newspapers英國報紙 and gossip writers和八卦寫手 use this word a lot很常用這個字； it feels very British它感覺非常英國， though people elsewhere understand it不過其他地方的人也聽得懂。 It它 is informal是非正式的。 in a school essay or a news report在學校作文或新聞報導裡 Do not use it不要用它， and be careful也要小心 using it about用它去說 a real person you know一個你真的認識的人 — it它 is close to很接近 an insult一句侮辱。

English speakers also stretch the pattern to things that are not people at all: a Z-list university, a Z-list hotel, a Z-list film festival. Anywhere there is a ranking, someone will joke about the Z-list end of it.

English speakers英文使用者 also也 stretch the pattern把這個模式延伸 to things that are not people at all到完全不是人的東西上： a Z-list university a Z-list university（十八線大學）、 a Z-list hotel a Z-list hotel（十八線飯店）、 a Z-list film festival a Z-list film festival（十八線影展）。 Anywhere there is a ranking任何有排名的地方， someone就會有人 the Z-list end of it拿排名最尾端的 Z-list 那一頭 will joke about開玩笑。