be a hundred years too early
To be so immature and unprepared as to have no hope of achieving an accomplishment.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You are a hundred years too early to lead this team.”
“He tried to argue with the experienced professor, but he was a hundred years too early to understand the complex theory.”
“The young politician proposed radical changes to the constitution, yet his colleagues felt he was a hundred years too early to grasp the gravity of the national crisis.”
A calque of the Japanese 百年早い (hyaku-nen hayai), the expression entered English as a direct translation of the idiomatic phrase.
- 01
a hundred and ten percent
A level of effort beyond what one can usually sustain; great exertion.
- 02
a year and a day
A long time.
- 03
banner year
An especially fruitful year; a year of exceptional production.
- 04
bat five hundred
To be successful half of the time; to have a success rate of 50%.
- 05
bright and early
(Very) early in the morning.
- 06
call it an early night
To go to bed or cease one's activities earlier in the evening than usual.
- 07
Christmas come early
Something very delightful or fortunate that is happening or has happened, especially earlier than expected.
- 08
donkey's years
A long time, years and years.
Last updated August 10, 2026