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
on both sides of the changjiang river - dà jiāng nán běi
a modest , self-disciplined gentleman - qiān qiān jūn zǐ