强龙不压地头蛇

qiánglóngbùyādìtóushé

a powerful dragon cannot crush a snake in its old haunts—even a powerful man cannot crush a local bully

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qiang2 long2 bu4 ya1 di4 tou2 she2

lit. strong dragon cannot repress a snake (idiom); fig. a local gangster who is above the law

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強龍不壓地頭蛇|强龙不压地头蛇 [qiáng lóng bù yā dì tóu shé] ► lit. strong dragon cannot repress a snake (idiom); fig. a local gangster who is above the law