old hand
Someone who knows
An old hand is someone with long experience in a particular activity or field—a veteran: She's an old hand at negotiating contracts, The old hands showed the new recruits around.
The phrase implies competence gained through years of practice, often with a note of informal respect.
Highly skilled practitioner
- veteranExperienced former soldier
- proIn favor of
- specialistExpert in one field
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
master · adept · proficient · seasoned · skilled · knowledgeable · experienced · accomplished
Experienced former soldier
- soldierArmed forces member
- trooperMounted soldier or patroller
- campaignerOne who advocates publicly
- warriorOne skilled in combat
combatant · serviceman · lifer · reservist · guardsman · legionnaire · infantryman · sergeant
Wisdom keeper or seasoning
- wiseShowing good judgment
- savvyPractical shrewdness
- astuteMentally sharp, discerning
- shrewdPractically clever, perceptive
canny · perceptive · insightful · worldly · seasoned · knowing · discerning · judicious
expert
Highly skilled practitioner
- veteranExperienced former soldier
- proIn favor of
- specialistExpert in one field
authority · master · adept · proficient · seasoned · skilled · knowledgeable · experienced · accomplished · practiced
veteran
Experienced former soldier
- soldierArmed forces member
- trooperMounted soldier or patroller
- campaignerOne who advocates publicly
warrior · combatant · serviceman · lifer · reservist · guardsman · legionnaire · infantryman · sergeant · officer
sage
Wisdom keeper or seasoning
shrewd · canny · perceptive · insightful · worldly · seasoned · knowing · discerning · judicious · prudent
sailor
Seafaring crew member
shipmate · seafarer · tar · salt · able-bodied · crewman · helmsman · navigator · mate · captain
- expertsexperts, expert, specialist, masters, specialists
- skill idiomsknow the ropes, cut the mustard, on the ball, sharp as a tack, jack of all trades
- expertise termsexpert, specialist, authority, master, pro
- life lessonslesson learned, moral, lessons learned, life lessons, parable
- maturityadulthood, immature, come of age, ripe, unripe
- familiarityfamiliar, unfamiliar, known, unknown, acquainted