잔뼈가 굵었어요 · ~에서 잔뼈가 굵은 사람
to be a seasoned veteran, to have grown up in a field (lit. one's small bones have grown thick)
Example
그분은 이 업계에서 잔뼈가 굵은 분이에요.
He's a seasoned veteran in this industry.
Word parts
잔뼈 are the small bones of a child; they 'grow thick' as one grows up, so the phrase means one has grown up and matured in that line of work.
Good to know
Pronounced [잔뼈가 국따]. Usually ~에서 잔뼈가 굵은 + person; a compliment about long hands-on experience.
Related words