老毛子
lǎo máo zi
ZH
A mostly derogatory or informal slang term in Chinese for a Russian person
很多北方老人习惯用老毛子这个词称呼俄罗斯人。
Many elderly people in northern China customarily use the term 老毛z to refer to Russian people.
Etymology
The term originated in Northeast China during the late Qing Dynasty. It was coined based on early Han Chinese observations of Russians' thick body hair and relatively hairy appearance compared to East Asian people.
Memory Aid
Break down the word: 老 (old, a common informal prefix for groups in Chinese) + 毛 (hair, referring to the perceived thick body hair of Russians) + 子 (common noun suffix). The root 毛 directly hints at the origin of the description.
Collocations
东北老毛子骂老毛子旧称老毛子
Synonyms
俄国人俄罗斯人
Related Words
鬼子洋人外族人
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