what does 'wet behind the ears' mean?

Answer 1

Immature, inexperienced, as in How can you take instructions from Tom? He's still wet behind the ears. This term alludes to the fact that the last place to dry in a newborn colt or calf is the indentation behind its ears. [Early 1900s]

Answer 2

The meaning is to be young, juvenile, naive, inexperienced, immature and refers to the fact that a newborn is still wet everywhere, but particularly "behind the ears", after birth (having not been "cleaned" yet).

Answer 3

Wet behind the ears
Meaning

Naive.

Origin

The allusion is to the inexperience of a baby, so recently born as to be still wet.

Answer 4

It means young, inexperienced and naive. It implies that you are so young, you've not dried out yet from being in the womb - still wet behind the ears.

Answer 5

Young, naive, inexperienced. I would assume having something to do with when things are born behind the ears dry last.

Answer 6

It means you are wet behind the ears and really need to dry yourself properly or you will end up chapping yourself. Try using a towel or some talc to make sure they are extra dry...

Answer 7

It implies that somebody is juvenile, like they are still wet behind the ears

Answer 8

When you are born you are wet. You then are dried off. This idea was extrapolated to mean a young inexperienced individual. Another term might be a tenderfoot.

Answer 9

It refers to the fact that you are too young to know what your thinking about doing. i.e. you were just born so you are wet behind your ears.

it's like saying that someone "can still smell your mother's breast-milk on your breath".

Answer 10

Naive..it refers to a baby just being born..and is literally wet behind the ears from..well..fluids!!