Come the old soldier (with someone)

Usually appears in the form of don’t come the old soldier with me and is a dismissive response to some attempted dodge or deceit perpetrated by the party addressed. There is a whole host of ‘don’t come the…’ expressions that change constantly and are too numerous to list all of them. This particular one dates from the 18th century and is still in use and implies that whoever is coming the old soldier is using their greater age or experience to effect some dodge or other. On a sad note, the many wars down the ages witnessed a proliferation of ex-servicemen out on the streets, trying to make a living in some way or another. Spare a thought that this expression may have originated in this context.