An old hand at doing Meaning in English
expression
ˈæn/, /ən/ /ˈoʊɫd/ /ˈhænd/ /ˈæt/ /ˈduɪŋ
an or uhn OLD hand AT DOO-ing
ˈɐn/ /ˈəʊld/ /hˈænd/ /ˈæt/ /dˈuːɪŋ
uhn OHLD hand AT DOO-ing
Definition
Someone who is very experienced and skilled at doing a particular activity.
Usage & Nuances
Common in informal or semi-formal English. Used with 'at' plus an activity: 'an old hand at cooking'. Similar to 'expert' but with a sense of practical, long-term experience. Not used for young people or total beginners.
Spanish: ser todo un experto en - ser muy experimentado enPortuguese (BR): um velho conhecido em - muito experiente emPortuguese (PT): um velho conhecido em - muito experiente emChinese (Simplified): 做…的老手 - 有经验的人Chinese (Traditional): 做…的老手 - 有經驗的人Hindi: किसी काम में माहिर व्यक्तिArabic: خبير في - متمرّس فيBengali: কোনো কিছুতে অভিজ্ঞ ব্যক্তি - পাকা খেলোয়াড়Russian: старый мастер в - опытный вJapanese: 〜のベテラン - 〜に慣れている人Vietnamese: người có nhiều kinh nghiệm trong việcKorean: ~에 능숙한 사람 - 숙련자Turkish: bir işte usta - tecrübeli kişiUrdu: کسی کام میں پُرانا ماہر - تجربہ کار شخصIndonesian: sudah ahli dalam - orang berpengalaman dalam
Example Sentences
He's an old hand at fixing cars.
basic
She is an old hand at baking bread.
basic
My uncle is an old hand at fishing in this river.
basic
When it comes to negotiating, she's an old hand at getting what she wants.
natural
You can tell he's an old hand at public speaking—he never gets nervous.
natural
After twenty years in the kitchen, Marco is an old hand at handling busy dinner services.
natural