a nodding acquaintance with
A nodding acquaintance is a Chinese idiom. It means that you have a shallow friendship and you just nod when you meet. From morning in Shanghai.
Idiom explanation
It means that the friendship is very shallow. When you meet, you just nod your head.
The origin of Idioms
[source] the first part of Zhou Erfu's morning in Shanghai: "at least there are a hundred children and eighty friends. If you have nodding friends, you can't count them."
Discrimination of words
[near synonym]: one-sided friend, one-sided relationship [antonym]: life and death friend
Idiom usage
As the subject or object, refers to a meeting
a nodding acquaintance with
The tortoise crane has a long life - guī hè xiá shòu
A book on the back of one's house - yǎng wū zhù shū
be free from things of the world - chāo rán wù wài