A new kid on the block literally refers to a child who has just moved to a certain neighborhood.
Meaning of Idiom ‘New Kid on the Block’
The new kid on the block is the newest person in a place, group, or organization; a new employee; an inexperienced newcomer; a newbie; someone who is just beginning in a particular activity or area of interest and has much to learn. 1,2,3,4,5
Examples Of Use
“You’re still the new kid on the block around here. You have to earn your stripes.”
“We moved around so much when I was young so I was used to being the new kid on the block.”
“I know what it’s like to be the new kid on the block so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
“The new CDC director is not exactly the new kid on the block. She’s quite well-known in the field and very respected.”
“I’m so sick of being treated like the new kid on the block. I’ve been working here for a year.”
“No matter how long I do this, I always feel like I’m the new kid on the block.”
“I heard there was a new employee starting tomorrow. I’ll be so happy not to be the new kid on the block.”
Origin
This idiom originated as American slang. A block is the row of buildings between two city streets so, a new kid on the block referred to a child who had just moved into the local neighborhood. The child need not live on a particular city block as the word block quickly became extended to mean, generally, neighborhood, and then, later, the phrase extended into general use to refer to anyone new to a particular place or activity.
Phrases.org unearthed an early use from ‘Skippy’ cartoon, by Percy Crosby, in The Lowell Sun And Citizen-Leader, December 1941:
“The new kid on the block told me that the next time he saw you he was goin’ to twist your nose.”
The phrase is well-attested by the 1970s.
More Idioms Starting with N
- Up The Creek (Without a Paddle)
- Up in The Air
- Up In Arms, about something
- Under the Table
- Under the Impression
More Block Idioms
More Kid Idioms
More New Idioms
References- Brenner, Gail. Webster’s New World American Idioms Handbook. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
- [note]Bengelsdorf, Peter. Idioms in the News – 1,000 Phrases, Real Examples. N.p.: Amz Digital Services, 2012.
- Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.
- Definition of the new kid on the block from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus, Cambridge University Press.
- Spears, Richard A. McGraw-Hill’s American Idioms Dictionary. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2008.