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View synonyms for fresh off the boat

fresh off the boat

[ fresh awf thuh boht, of ]

idiom

, Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive.
  1. being a very recent immigrant, especially from another continent and culture:

    I was a shy Indian kid fresh off the boat, with weird clothes and a thick accent, and he was a basketball player from West Philadelphia.



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Sensitive Note

The expression fresh off the boat is sometimes used by immigrants themselves or by friends and family to joke about or reflect on a time when they knew less about their adoptive country than they know now. When used in self-reference, no offense is usually intended or taken. However, when attributed by nonimmigrants to immigrants with whom they are not close, the expression can be offensive or disparaging.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of fresh off the boat1

First recorded in 1910–15, in reference to food

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freshness datefresh out of