Chinaman on one's back en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
The use of "Chinaman" could possibly refer to the use of opium becoming a historical stereotype of Chinese people.
Meanings
-
(offensive, slang) A drug addiction.
The chances are that he will stay with his first love, the needle, and that the habit will lose the glorious drive and tingle that it had at first, and become the chinaman on his back who drives him like a slave to get more money to buy more junk.
2003, David W. Maurer, Whiz Mob: A Correlation of the Technical Argot of Pickpockets with Their Behavior Pattern, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, →ISBN, page 163:
- (offensive, slang) Withdrawal symptoms.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinamen on their backs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |