IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishwet behind the ears
Meaning: Young and inexperienced.
Example: “The new officer is still wet behind the ears.”
Equivalents in other languages
German: feucht hinter den Ohren Literally: Wet behind the ears
Russian: молоко на губах не обсохло (moloko na gubakh ne obsokhlo) Literally: Milk has not dried on the lips
Origin: Newborn animals are wet at birth, and the hollow behind the ears is among the last places to dry. The phrase for inexperience is American from the early 20th century.
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