What does 초친놈 mean?

ANSWER: a worthless playboy

My Korean-English dictionary has 12 different entries for the verb 치다, starting with the one that means "to strike" or "to hit," probably the most common meaning. But if the sub-entries are included, the total comes to 19 entries.

I mention this because today I came across the phrase 초친놈 and became curious about the 초친 part of it. I learned that the 초 in 초친 is the same 초 in the Sino-Korean word 식초 (食醋), which means "vinegar." I then guessed from that that the 친 in 초친 comes from 치다 entry No. 6, which means "to (put) pour into," "to mix with," or "to season with."

So, that means the phrase 초친놈 literally translates as "a guy seasoned with vinegar." But what does that mean? Well, my Korean-English dictionary defines the phrase as "a worthless playboy." But how does "a guy seasoned with vinegar" become "a worthless playboy"?

Well, according to my Korean-Korean dictionary, things seasoned with vinegar (such as vegetables) lose their freshness, which implies that people seasoned with vinegar have lost the freshness and innocence they need to be good human beings.

From Dong-A's Prime Korean-English Dictionary (1998)

From Dong-A's Prime Korean-English Dictionary (1998)

From Dong-A's Prime Korean-English Dictionary (1998)

From 동아 새국국어사전 (1992)