Do not try to come the old soldier with me.
come the old soldier
idiomOften followed by with: to deceive, impose upon, or take advantage of someone, as if exploiting one's superior age or experience.
Origin
disputed originFrom come (“to behave in the manner of; to pretend to be”) + the + old soldier (“former soldier, or one who has served for a long time; one with a lot of experience in something”), in the sense of one taking advantage of their age or experience over someone else.
He tried to come the old soldier with the new manager, pretending he knew more about the rules than he actually did.
The seasoned clerk attempted to come the old soldier with the young trainee, hoping to manipulate the situation by feigning a depth of experience he did not possess.
- 01
any old nook or cranny
Alternative form of any nook or cranny.
- 02
as they come
As it is possible to be.
- 03
bad old days
The past, seen as a time when things were worse.
- 04
big old
Emphatically or impressively big; really big.
- 05
blow to kingdom come
To totally destroy (something); to annihilate or wipe out (something).
- 06
chip off the old block
Someone who takes after one of their parents; (generally) a person similar to another.
- 07
Christmas come early
Something very delightful or fortunate that is happening or has happened, especially earlier than expected.
- 08
come a cropper
To suffer some accident or misfortune; to fail.