大佬

What does 大佬 mean?

大佬 started life as triad slang for the boss — the Godfather figure of Hong Kong gangster films — and gamers borrowed it wholesale as a title of respect. Any dominant player is a 大佬: the 大神 who 带飞 the whole lobby, the 氪金大佬 whose wallet funds the guild, the guide writer whose builds everyone copies. New players’ universal prayer is 大佬求带 (“boss, please carry me”), and the word stretches to ironic use for anyone who shows up with unreasonable confidence.

Where does 大佬 come from?

大佬 is Cantonese-tinged Mandarin from Hong Kong cinema, where it denoted the triad boss above all bosses; mainland internet adopted it in the early 2010s as forums and games absorbed HK crime-film culture. By the mid-2010s, with League of Legends and dungeon MMOs at peak popularity, it had settled as the standard honorific for anyone noticeably better than you — respect, flattery and a little begging all in two syllables.

How to use 大佬

• 大佬求带！我负责躺。
  Dàlǎo qiú dài! Wǒ fùzé tǎng.
  Carry me, boss! I’ll be dead weight with gratitude.
• 这位大佬一个打五个。
  Zhè wèi dàlǎo yī ge dǎ wǔ ge.
  This absolute boss is taking on five at once.