ENGLISH
REFERENCE

babe in the woods

idiom
Meaning

A person who is innocent, naive, inexperienced, or helpless, especially with respect to an unfamiliar situation or environment.


Origin

disputed origin

From the ballad "The Children in the Wood".

Examples
SIMPLE

He's a babe in the woods when it comes to online shopping.

CONTEXTUAL

Fresh out of university, she was a babe in the woods in the fast-paced corporate world.

COMPLEX

The young diplomat, a babe in the woods amid seasoned negotiators, nodded along to terms he barely understood, trusting too readily in promises that would soon unravel.

Anchors to
Related idioms6entries
  1. 01

    babe in arms

    An infant.

  2. 02

    babe magnet

    Synonym of chick magnet

  3. 03

    do me good/s

    [Cockney slang]wood/s

  4. 04

    does the Pope shit in the woods

    Obviously! Rhetorical question in response to a question where the answer is an emphatic yes.

  5. 05

    miss the woods for the trees

    Alternative form of cannot see the forest for the trees.

  6. 06

    neck of the woods

    A local neighbourhood or region.

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