wet behind the ears

1. Immature, inexperienced, and naïve: “Don't rely on his advice about girlfriends; he's still wet behind the ears.”

Idioms and Phrases

Also, not dry behind the ears . Immature, inexperienced, as in How can you take instructions from Tom? He's still wet behind the ears , or Jane's not dry behind the ears yet . This term alludes to the fact that the last place to dry in a newborn colt or calf is the indentation behind its ears. [Early 1900s]

Example Sentences

At just 22, Birmingham-born Lavender was still wet behind the ears in terms of his acting career.

From BBC

They were both ambitious and “wet behind the ears,” Fischer said.

From Seattle Times

But in this telling, Fry comes across as not just inexperienced but insecure: wet behind the ears, a little timid, wary of crossing lines.

From Los Angeles Times

He was naive, a bit wet behind the ears, but that got him the wins.

From BBC

Looking forward, Kerr said Simple Minds were “wet behind the ears” compared to rockers like The Who and the Rolling Stones.

From Reuters

Related Words

• fresh
• new
• raw