English Reference
Idiom idiom

milk drinker


Someone who lacks experience or courage.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

Don't be such a milk drinker and join the game.

He is a milk drinker who stays home when things get difficult.

Stop acting like a milk drinker and stand up for yourself.

CONTEXTUAL

The veteran soldiers laughed at the new recruit, calling him a milk drinker because he was afraid to enter the dark forest.

The older sailors didn't trust the new captain because they thought he was a milk drinker who had never seen a real storm.

You shouldn't let those bullies call you a milk drinker just because you prefer to follow the rules at school.

The mountain climbers hesitated to take the beginner on the steep trail, fearing that a milk drinker would panic when the weather turned cold and snowy.

COMPLEX

Although he spoke with great confidence, his hesitation during the crisis revealed him to be a mere milk drinker in the eyes of the seasoned commanders.


From Ancient Greek γαλακτοπότης (galaktopótēs), the term was employed by the Greeks as a derogatory label for barbarians. It identifies the subject by his dietary habits, specifically the consumption of milk, which the Greeks regarded as a mark of the uncivilised.


Related idioms7entries
  1. 01

    cry over spilt milk

    To worry about unfortunate events which have already happened and which cannot be changed.

  2. 02

    dick milk

    Semen.

  3. 03

    milk of human kindness

    Compassion shown to other people.

  4. 04

    milk the clock

    To use as much time as one can in order to gain a benefit.

  5. 05

    satin and silk

    [Cockney slang]milk

  6. 06

    spilt milk

    Something that cannot be undone.

  7. 07

    two-fisted drinker

    Someone who can handle their liquor well

Last updated August 10, 2026