English Reference
Idiom idiom

old head on young shoulders


Alternative form of good head on one's shoulders.

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


SIMPLE

She is only ten, but she has an old head on young shoulders.

CONTEXTUAL

The young manager handled the crisis with such wisdom that everyone remarked she had an old head on young shoulders.

COMPLEX

Despite his tender years, the boy displayed a maturity that suggested an old head on young shoulders, often offering advice that surpassed the experience of his elders.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    any old nook or cranny

    Alternative form of any nook or cranny.

  2. 02

    bad old days

    The past, seen as a time when things were worse.

  3. 03

    bang one's head against a brick wall

    To waste effort on a futile project.

  4. 04

    bang some heads together

    Attempt to get results from a previously ineffectual or argumentative group, typically by coercion or force.

  5. 05

    bash someone's head

    To beat up someone violently.

  6. 06

    big head

    An inflated ego, an exaggerated belief in one's own importance.

  7. 07

    big old

    Emphatically or impressively big; really big.

  8. 08

    bite someone's head off

    To severely berate someone.

Last updated August 10, 2026