吃瓜

(neologism c. 2016) (slang) to watch an entertaining spectacle from the sidelines and-or engage in gossip about it

to eat / to consume / to eat at (a cafeteria etc) / to eradicate / to destroy / to absorb / to suffer / to stammer (Taiwan pr. for this sense is [ji2])

variant of 吃[chi1]

melon / gourd / squash

peanut gallery (esp. in online forums) / onlookers who are interested in the spectacle but don't have anything knowledgeable to say about it / (neologism c. 2016)