to hold an inconsequential job / to receive a cold reception / to be kept waiting for an assignment or audience / to be out in the cold / to be sidelined / to warm the bench / to cool one's heels
lit. cut sleeve (idiom) / fig. euphemism for homosexuality, originating from History of Western Han 漢書|汉书: emperor Han Aidi (real name Liu Xin) was in bed with his lover Dong Xian, and had to attend a court audience that morning. Not wishing to awaken Dong Xian, who was sleeping with his head resting on the emperor's long robe sleeve, Aidi used a knife to cut off the lower half of his sleeve.
对牛弹琴
duì niú tán qín
lit. to play the lute to a cow (idiom) / fig. offering a treat to an unappreciative audience / to cast pearls before swine / caviar to the general / to preach to deaf ears / to talk over sb's head
倒彩
dào cǎi
adverse audience reaction: boos and jeers, hissing, catcalls or deliberate applause after a mistake
(in a soap opera or movie) voice-over that makes a character's unspoken thoughts audible to the audience
铺梗
pū gěng
(Tw) to set the scene / to lay the groundwork / to pique the interest of one's audience
吃播
chī bō
mukbang, genre of online broadcast consisting of the host eating food while interacting with their audience
口播
kǒu bō
(broadcasting) to speak to the audience / to advertise a product by speaking directly to the audience / endorsement (by a celebrity for a product, delivered orally)
热播
rè bō
to broadcast (or be broadcast) to an enthusiastic audience / to broadcast (or be broadcast) and get high ratings