old hand
1
3.7
- noun
:
veterano
- We're all old hands, so I don't have to go through all the usual sewing and dance about what we do.
We're all old hands, so I don't have to go through all the usual sewing and dance about what we do.
- We're all old hands, so I don't have to go through all the usual sewing and dance about what we do.
- Or, if you're already an old hand at it, do some refreshers.
Examples
-
As the NY Times's Shanghai bureau chief, I assume you are a China old hand.
Blog text (15) -
Or, if you're already an old hand at it, do some refreshers.
-
"He was already an old hand when I came along."
Fiction book (1995) -
Soon I'm an old hand.
Fiction book (1995) -
She was an old hand by then.
Fiction book (1990) -
His standing as an old hand contrasts with new staffers.
Blog text (22) -
"They're old hands," Kip said.
Fiction book (1990) -
However, this kind of behavior goes back hundreds of years and is so entrenched in Hungarian culture that I seriously doubt that purging the judiciary of old hands will solve the problem and will put the Hungarian system of justice on the right path, i.e., to be a real balancing force in the face of power abuse.
Blog text (22) -
As an old hand in the industry, she easily navigated the complex regulations.
-
The old hand shared his tips with the newcomers to help them succeed.
Synonyms
184
3.8
A person with long experience in a job or activity
39
5.2
A person who has done something for a long time and is respected for their experience
4
7.0
A person with many years of experience in a job or field
1
6.9
An experienced reliable person who has worked in a job for a long time
1
6.9
A person very skilled at something after many years of practice
A person who has a lot of experience in a job or activity
A person who has done a job for many years and knows it well
Antonyms
How Experienced
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'old' here conveys long experience and 'hand' denotes a person/worker, so together they yield 'an experienced person'. This compositional pattern is common in English (and mirrored in many languages) and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
Old hand comes from a time when the word hand meant a worker, for example a person on a ship or a farm, and old meant a long time. So an old hand was a worker who had done the job for many years, and today old hand means 'a person who has a lot of experience'.