johnny-come-lately

1. alternativeAlternative form of Johnny-come-lately.

plural Johnny-come-latelies · plural Johnnies-come-lately · alternative rare johnny-come-lately · alternative rare Jonny-come-lately

1. alsoattributiveidiomaticA newcomer; a novice; an upstart.

   She might take offense if some Johnny-come-lately thinks he can do a better job.

   4 more examples

   Morris now shared financial decisions with a woman, a female Johnny-come-lately. Imagine the eventuality of Morris's share of their fortune ever falling into such Johnny-come-lately hands. God forbid!

   1963 [1961], Fannie Hurst, God Must Be Sad, New York: Pocket Books, page 79

   In a field increasingly populated with Johnnies-come-lately, Gittings is a Johnny-come-early: one only has to read this book to feel the depth and span of his knowledge.

   2005 September 10, Martin Jacques, “Great leaps and bounds”, in The Guardian

   The government should give the agency its independence back so that it can get on with the task of protecting consumers in relation to food without political interference from johnny-come-lately ministers.

   2014 August 21, Mike Pender, “Food safety too crucial to be left to johnny-come-lately ministers”, in The Guardian

   All these Johnny-come-latelies typically come out as irreverent, vulgar or immature and childlike.

   2018, E. Khayyat, Istanbul 1940 and Global Modernity, Lexington Books, →ISBN, page 213

   Synonyms: greenhorn, newcomer, novice, blow-in, come-here, comeling, entrant, FOB