sweet summer child
Someone who is naive, or who has never experienced hardship.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You think the boss will give you a raise? You sweet summer child.”
“You are a sweet summer child if you think this old car is reliable.”
“The new intern expects to finish all this work by lunch, but he is a sweet summer child.”
“She believes that the landlord will return her full deposit without a fight, like a true sweet summer child.”
“My cousin is such a sweet summer child for thinking that the beach will be empty on a sunny holiday weekend.”
“Watching the young idealist believe the political system would change overnight, the veteran activist could only smile at the sweet summer child.”
first recorded 20th c. disputed origin
As an idiomatic phrase, apparently from the fantasy novel A Game of Thrones (1996) by George R. R. Martin, although isolated occurrences go back to the 1800s. In the novel, a young boy is called a "sweet summer child" by an old woman, since seasons last for years in the novel's world and he has yet to experience winter. Later popularized by its use in the episode "Lord Snow" (2011) of the television adaptation Game of Thrones.
- 01
call someone everything but a child of God
To call someone many abusive names.
- 02
heavy with child
visibly pregnant
- 03
high summer
The hottest part of the summer.
- 04
home sweet home
Expressing contentment or relief at residing in or returning to one's own home.
- 05
keep someone sweet
To keep someone friendly or satisfied by complying with their wishes or preferences.
- 06
poster child
One who is a prototypical or quintessential example of something.
- 07
problem child
Someone or something persistently difficult or vexing; a frequent source of trouble or annoyance.
- 08
summer and winter
To spend extended periods of time with; to test.
Last updated August 10, 2026