Idiom Category: Children and babies, Page 1

Babe in arms

A babe in arms is a very young child, or a person who is very young to be holding a position.

Babe in the woods

A babe in the woods is a naive, defenceless, young person.

Baby boomer

(USA) A baby boomer is someone born in the years after the end of the Second World War, a period when the population was growing very fast.

Blue-eyed boy

Someone's blue-eyed boy is their favourite person.

Born on the wrong side of the blanket

A child born on the wrong side of the blanket is illegitimate- his or her parents were not married at the  time of the birth.

Boys will be boys

Boys will be boys means that boys, or men, will behave in certain ways, often noisily or irresponsibily.

Child's play

If something is child's play, it is very easy and simple.

Get out of your pram

(UK) If someone gets out of their pram, they respond aggressively to an argument or problem that doesn't involve them.

Hold the baby

(UK) If someone is responsible for something, they are holding the baby.

In embryo

If something is in embryo, it exists but has not developed.

It takes a village to raise a child

It takes many people to teach a child all that he or she should know.

Jobs for the boys

Where people give jobs, contracts, etc, to their friends and associates, these are jobs for the boys.

Like a kid in a candy store

If someone is like a kid in a candy store, they are very excited about something.

Mummy's boy

A man who is still very dependent on his mother is a mummy's boy.

New kid on the block

A new kid on the block is a person who has recently joined a company, organisation, team, etc, and does not know how things work yet.

Out of the mouths of babes

People say this when children unexpectedly say something very intelligent or wise.

Rob the cradle

To rob the cradle is to marry or have a relationship with someone much younger.

Shy bairns get nowt

(UK) An idiom primarily used by those from the North East of England, used to emphasize the fact that children who fail to ask for something (usually from an older person) probably won't succeed in obtaining it. (bairn = child, nowt = nothing)

Sleep like a baby

If you sleep very well, you sleep like a baby.

Spare the rod and spoil the child

This means that if you don't discipline children, they will become spoilt.

Spit the dummy

Reference to an infant spitting out their dummy (or pacifier) in order to cry. 'To spit the dummy' is to give up.

Tar baby

A tar baby is a problem that gets worse when people try to sort it out.

Throw the baby out with the bath water

If you get rid of useful things when discarding inessential things, you throw the baby out with the bath water.

With child

(UK) If a woman's with child, she's pregnant.

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