老腊肉

老臘肉

lǎolàròu

noun

Meanings

1 (slang) seasoned older man
2 a middle-aged guy who's 'been cured' — experienced and often well-positioned

Characters

Examples

他是娱乐圈的老腊肉了。

Tā shì yúlèquān de lǎolàròu le.

He's an old hand in the entertainment industry.

小鲜肉再火也火不过老腊肉的演技。

Xiǎoxiānròu zài huǒ yě huǒ bú guò lǎolàròu de yǎnjì.

However popular 'fresh meat' stars get, they can't beat the acting chops of the 'seasoned meats.'

公司里的老腊肉都不好对付。

Gōngsī lǐ de lǎolàròu dōu bù hǎo duìfu.

The old hands at the company are all tough to deal with.

Tips

culture

Coined as the mirror image of 小鲜肉 ('little fresh meat,' a young heartthrob). 腊肉 is cured pork — preserved, flavorful, made to last — which is the flattering read of the joke.

Stroke Order

老 lǎo

腊 là

肉 ròu