English for Students

English : Greenhorn

What is the meaning and origin of the expression greenhorn?

A greenhorn is an inexperienced or naive person, someone who can be easily duped or cheated. The term, I understand, was first used in the 15th century to refer to a young ox whose horns had not matured. Around the 17th century, the word began to be used to refer to people. Any inexperienced person began to be called a greenhorn. In the early part of the 20th century, with the influx of immigrants, the word began to be used to refer to them. Now a day of course, a greenhorn is any inexperienced person.

Here are a few examples.

• The Management is not planning on hiring greenhorns.

• How could you give such an important assignment to a greenhorn?

• The old man was looking for a greenhorn whom he could sell his bogus stocks to.




COURTESY : The Hindu (The National News-Paper) - India




By using this page, you can increase your vocabulary faster and more easily than you may realize. You can, in fact, accomplish a tremendous gain in your communication skills in less than two to three months of concentrated effort, even if you go at your own speed of a page a day.

From Greenhorn to HOME PAGE