Johnny-come-lately
2
9.1
- noun
- /ˈdʒɒni kʌm ˈleɪtli/
- Informal
:
recién llegado
- He joined the club only last month, making him the newest Johnny-come-lately in the group.
Examples
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Now, I don't deserve to identify myself as old-school in any way—for one, I'm too young, and secondly, I was born in the wrong place and am essentially a Johnny-come-lately to the hobby.
Blog text (25) -
Despite being a Johnny-come-lately, he quickly learned the ropes and impressed everyone.
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Now, you wait just one minute, Miss Johnny-come-lately.
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Well, thank you, but as my Johnny-come-lately guardian angel, you have no idea what you're talking about.
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But why does it matter whether the law recognizes a Johnny-come-lately as an inventor?
Blog text (34) -
It is also where you build a historical repository of information and a body of work that, down the road, proves you are not simply some Johnny-come-lately.
Blog text (22) -
But ARS isn't some Johnny-come-lately, suddenly jumping on the biobased bandwagon.
Academic text (2002) -
With the developments following the Second Vatican Council, he slowly came to appreciate the old spiritual ways and especially aboriginal symbolism, and employed many symbols in his Catholic ministry, despite criticism from some of his own people who considered him a Johnny-come-lately to his traditions.
Academic text (2007) -
Fayu Temple is hardly more than 400 years old—twice as old as the United States, but still a Johnny-come-lately among the temples here.
Fiction book (2002) -
As a newcomer to the team, she felt like a Johnny-come-lately during the important meeting.
Synonyms
123
1.6
A person who has recently arrived in a place, joined a group, or started an activity
68
1.0
A person who has just come to a place to join other people
41
2.4
A person new to a group or activity in their first year
8
3.7
A person or thing new to a group that others do not know yet
7
7.1
A person who has just arrived at a place or event
5
2.8
A person who arrives after the expected time
2
4.3
A person new to a place who people notice
A person who is new and not experienced in a group or job
How New
Surface Forms
Morphology
Johnny-come-lately = Johnny + come + lately (semi-transparent) = Johnny + come + lately
The literal parts ('Johnny' + 'come' + 'lately') point to someone who has arrived recently, but the phrase is a fixed idiom with a conventional, often disparaging sense, so understanding from parts is not fully straightforward for learners.
Etymology
Johnny-come-lately pairs the common name Johnny with come lately, an old phrase meaning 'arrived recently'. It was a joking way to talk about someone who joined late, so today it means a newcomer or latecomer.