地頭蛇

local bully / tyrant / regional mafia boss

-ly / structural particle: used before a verb or adjective, linking it to preceding modifying adverbial adjunct

earth / ground / field / place / land / CL:片[pian4]

variant of 蛇[she2]

snake / serpent / CL:條|条[tiao2]

place / locality / edge of a field / lower margin of a page

head / hair style / the top / end / beginning or end / a stub / remnant / chief / boss / side / aspect / first / leading / classifier for pigs or livestock / CL:個|个[ge4]

suffix for nouns

lit. strong dragon cannot repress a snake (idiom); fig. a local gangster who is above the law