come the old soldier en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /ˈkʌm ði‿oʊl(d)ˈsoʊld͡ʒə/ (General-American)
- /ˈkʌm ðiː‿əʊl(d)ˈsəʊld͡ʒə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /-ˈsɒl-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From 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.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic, informal, intransitive) Often followed by with: to deceive, impose upon, or take advantage of someone, as if exploiting one's superior age or experience.
[W]ere it not that I think he has scarce the impudence to propose such a thing to succeed, curse me but I should think he was coming the old soldier over me, and keeping up his game.
1823 December 23 (indicated as 1824), [Walter Scott], “Fortune’s Frolics”, in St Ronan’s Well. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, pages 111–112:But you needn't try to come the old soldier over me. D—n it, I'm not such a fool as that.
1859–1861, [Thomas Hughes], “Brown Patronus”, in Tom Brown at Oxford: […], part 2nd, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, published 1861, →OCLC, page 167:Don’t come the old soldier with me, sunshine! Do you think I was born yesterday?
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| came the old soldier | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| coming the old soldier | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| come the old soldier | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| comes the old soldier | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |