Where does the term "Green" to refer to someone new at something come from?

Answer 1

GREEN, of course can symbolize many things and has many associations... envy, newness, freshness, nature, cleanliness, etc. But in this case it means new / inexperienced / untried.

But, to answer your question... I believe that this usage of "green" came from the botanical connotations. Let me explain. When camping and building a fire, you must scout for wood to burn and tinder to nurse the flame to life. The best pieces are branches and sticks that have fallen from the trees and bushes, are "dead" and have lost all their moisture ("dry"). These will catch and keep the flame the best.

If you collect "green" branches, NEWly fallen or still maintaining moisture and sap, then they will not perform as well in your fire because they cannot hold the flame as well or the moisture overcomes the fire.

Symbolically, the fire is the task, the dryness is experience. Experience means that you are able to handle and maintain your duties and tasks without assistance. Newness (being "green" or "'wet' behind the ears") means that you do not yet have the experience or ability to maintain the task/duty without the help of others.

However, green wood will burn if put into a fire. Experience is gained when working with others. But green wood is very difficult to use when starting a fire. Good or practical experience is very difficult to gain without guidance.

Answer 2

In agricultural communities, someone new to having anything to do with farm animals; horses and cattle; or farming and ranching.
On the farm, it's still used but

an obsolete term

greenhorn: an animal with green or young horns.
found on the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
1. an inexperienced or naive person
2. a newcomer (as to a country) unacquainted with local manners and customs

Answer 3

SALAD one's salad days : the days of one's youth and inexperience

William Shakespeare
Antony and Cleopatra,' the passionate Queen speaks of her ‘salad days, when she was green in judgment, cool in blood

Wordsworth in " his salad days, when he was green in judgment

The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit -
by Charles Dickens, Hablot Knight Browne - 1844 - 1248 pages
My salad days, when I was green of visage and sea-sick, being gone with better things (and no worse),

“As a term for youth, especially naive and inexperienced youth, green and fresh, salad days is now wilted.”

Answer 4

I beleive it refers to green as in a new branch that isnt old and browned.

Answer 5

When I was young, the expression was 'He is still green under the gills' - which referred to freshly caught fish. The fresh ones have a green tinge to their gills whilst they become browner as they age. Hence, 'green', in your context would mean fresh, new, young......................