babe in the woods
English
Alternative forms
- babe in the wood
Etymology
From the ballad "The Children in the Wood".
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun
babe in the woods (plural babes in the woods)
- (idiomatic) A person who is innocent, naive, inexperienced, or helpless, especially with respect to an unfamiliar situation or environment.
- 1908, Stewart Edward White, chapter 11, in The Riverman:
- "Orde, you're all right on the river," said Newmark, with a dry little laugh, "but you're a babe in the woods at this game."
- 2008, Jake Niall, "‘Weakest link’ no more, Harry shows he's tailor-made," The Age (Australia), 8 Sep. (retrieved 23 May 2009):
- Taylor is aware of the perception that he is the innocent, exploitable babe in the woods of the Geelong defence.
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Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:naive
Anagrams
- babes in the wood