come the old soldier

English

WOTD – 1 October 2022

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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌm ðiː‿əʊl(d) ˈsəʊld͡ʒə/, /-ˈsɒl-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌm ði‿oʊl(d) ˈsoʊld͡ʒə/
• Hyphenation: come the old sold‧ier

Verb

come the old soldier (third-person singular simple present comes the old soldier, present participle coming the old soldier, simple past came the old soldier, past participle come the old soldier)

1. (intransitive, idiomatic, informal) Often followed by with: to deceive, impose upon, or take advantage of someone, as if exploiting one's superior age or experience.

   Synonyms: act the old soldier, play the old soldier

   Don’t come the old soldier with me, sunshine! Do you think I was born yesterday?

   • 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:

     [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.

   • 1859–1861, [Thomas Hughes], “Brown Patronus”, in Tom Brown at Oxford: […], part 2nd, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, published 1861, →OCLC, page 167:

     But you needn't try to come the old soldier over me. D—n it, I'm not such a fool as that.

Translations

to deceive, impose upon, or take advantage of someone, as if exploiting one’s superior age or experience