老掉牙

lǎodiàoyá

adjective #12,020

Meanings

Zhège xiàohua tài lǎodiàoyá le.

This joke is so old and corny.

Bié yòng nàxiē lǎodiàoyá de fāngfǎ le.

Don't use those outdated methods anymore.

memory

Literally 'so old the teeth fall out' — picture something so ancient its teeth are gone. Very vivid and colloquial.

Informal and slightly humorous. Used in casual speech to dismiss something as hopelessly outdated.

老 lǎo

掉 diào

牙 yá