have a Chinaman on (one's) back

To suffer from an addiction to narcotics or the withdrawal symptoms caused by it. A derogatory phrase, it likely refers to opium's classical association with Southeast Asia. Having that Chinaman on her back has kept Janet out of work for years. I want to get clean and turn my life around, but having this Chinaman on my back is absolute torture.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Melody	['melədi]
Sanjeev	-	Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu, Kannada
Eutropius	-	Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Pedr	-	Welsh
Madeline	['mædlin]
Titas	-	Lithuanian