Is there a special term for "the last child"?

Status
Not open for further replies.

moonlike

Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2012
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Persian
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
Hi
Are there any special terms or expressions that refer to the last child of the family, who is sometimes indulged with a lot of things. I heard "the child of the family", is that true?

Thanks a million.
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
Hi
Are there any special terms or expressions that refer to the last child of the family, who is sometimes indulged with a lot of things. I heard "the child of the family", is that true?

Thanks a million.

I've heard "The baby of the family".
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Adults will even refer to their sibling as "the baby in the family" - despite the "baby" being in his or her 40s or older. So I'd say it's pretty universal!
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
A great many of us seem to fall into that category!

I would add that it doesn't necessarily imply the youngest is spoiled, which you mentioned at the beginning of this thread.

It just means that the parents, having realized they'd achieved perfection at last, didn't see a need for more children. Or something like that.
 

JMurray

Key Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2010
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
English
Home Country
New Zealand
Current Location
Australia
I would add that it doesn't necessarily imply the youngest is spoiled, which you mentioned at the beginning of this thread. It just means that the parents, having realized they'd achieved perfection at last, didn't see a need for more children.

I resemble that remark, as the second of four, with a perfect little sister.

not a teacher
not perfect
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I have no brothers or sisters but am one of four cousins who spent quite a lot of time together as children. The youngest is still referred to as the baby and on the rare occasion that all four of us are present at Christmas dinner, we four "children" still get a different Christmas cracker on our plate and the dinner host still says "Let the kids take their seats first please". The four of us "kids" range in age from 28 to 43!
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
I would add that it doesn't necessarily imply the youngest is spoiled

Not at all- the remote control was almost certainly invented by a baby of some family. ;-)
 

paul.moss

Junior Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Iran
Sometimes, We used the word " afterthought", which is slangy and humorous, and probably not as universal as "baby".
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top