老江湖 (lǎo jiāng hú) — a worldly-wise person; someone with extensive experience and street smarts
Definition
A worldly, street-smart person who has 'seen it all' — often used as a warning that someone is shrewd and hard to fool. The prefix 老 emphasizes seasoned experience, not old age.
noun
a worldly-wise personsomeone with extensive experience and street smarts
Examples
- ，老江湖。Tā zài zhè háng gān le sān shí nián, shì gè zhēn zhèng de lǎo jiāng hú.He's been in this industry for thirty years — a real old hand.
- 老江湖，。Gēn lǎo jiāng hú dǎ jiāo dào, nǐ dé duō liú gè xīn yǎn.When dealing with a seasoned player, you need to be extra careful.
- ，老江湖，。Bié kàn tā nián qīng, qí shí tā shì gè lǎo jiāng hú, shén me shì dōu jiàn guò.Don't let his young looks fool you — he's a veteran who's seen it all.
Origin
Compound word构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head
The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.
老 conveys experienced, while 江湖 evokes the wide world of rivers and lakes, together describing a worldly person.
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