Home › Idioms

feucht hinter den Ohren

Meaning: Young, inexperienced, or naive.

Language: German

Literally: wet behind the ears

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: The phrase pictures someone fresh from the womb, still wet from birth, as the symbol of newness and ignorance.

More idioms — Body & Senses

  • grün vor Neid — Consumed with jealousy or envious feeling.
  • mundtot machen — to silence or suppress someone; to rob them of the ability or right to speak.
  • wie ein Blinder von der Farbe reden — to discuss or explain something one has no direct experience or understanding of; to spea…
  • jemandem in Fleisch und Blut übergehen — To become second nature or instinctive; to be absorbed so deeply that it feels like part…
  • die Hände in den Schoß legen — To be idle or inactive; to do nothing while waiting or while problems accumulate.
  • etwas auf seine Kappe nehmen — To accept blame or responsibility for something.

More German idioms

  • alles im grünen Bereich sein — Everything is functioning well or is satisfactory.
  • ein Liedchen singen können — To have direct, personal knowledge of something through lived experience.
  • sein Damaskus erleben — To undergo a sudden, transformative spiritual or moral awakening.
  • in den Wind sprechen — To speak in vain or to an audience that will not listen or act on one's words.
  • auf den Schlips treten — To offend or insult someone, to hurt their feelings or pride.
  • um die Ecke denken — To think creatively or unconventionally, to solve problems by approaching them from unexp…

← Back to Idioms

Loading the full interactive collection…