IdiomBody & Senses
German
Germanfeucht hinter den Ohren
Meaning: Young, inexperienced, or naive.
Literally: Wet behind the ears
Example: “Der neue Kollege ist noch feucht hinter den Ohren.” — The new colleague is still wet behind the ears.
English equivalent: Wet behind the ears
Equivalents in other languages
Russian: молоко на губах не обсохло (moloko na gubakh ne obsokhlo) Literally: Milk has not dried on the lips
English: wet behind the ears
Origin: A newborn baby is still wet from the amniotic fluid, and the last place to dry is behind the ears. Someone still damp there is very young and inexperienced. A variant says grün hinter den Ohren (green behind the ears), green being the color of unripe fruit, as in Grünschnabel (greenhorn) and English "wet behind the ears."
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