spring chicken
1
6.7
- noun
- /sprɪŋ ˈtʃɪkɪn/
- Informal
:
joven
- You're no spring chicken, so you should take it easy when exercising.
It is, you know, Trump's not a spring chicken, Vladimir Putin's not a spring chicken.
- It is, you know, Trump's not a spring chicken, Vladimir Putin's not a spring chicken.
- He didn't say I am not going to run for a second term, I'm not a spring chicken.
- Brian's not a spring chicken and videographer, photographer, Sandesk, mixer, production assistant, you know all that stuff.
Examples
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So, you're no spring chicken.
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I'm no spring chicken, darling.
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Well, you ain't no spring chicken either.
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You ain't no spring chicken either.
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Because she's not a spring chicken anymore.
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You're no spring chicken, and I mean that in the best possible way.
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When it comes to technology, I may not be a spring chicken, but I can still learn quickly.
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I realized that I'm not a spring chicken anymore when I struggled to keep up with the younger crowd.
Synonyms
777
1.0
A child or teenager who is not yet an adult
101
1.0
A young person, often a boy or young man
1
9.9
A young man or boy who is lively and likes adventure
Antonyms
How Young
∞
1.0
- Informal
1
6.7
- Slang
1
8.2
133
2.6
175
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'spring' and 'chicken' can evoke the image of a young, tender bird (chicks associated with spring), so the idea of youth is partly derivable from the constituents. However, the idiomatic use to describe a person (especially the negative phrasing 'no spring chicken' meaning 'not young anymore') is a metaphorical extension and not fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Spring chicken came to mean a young person because chickens born in spring are fresh, lively, and new. So when someone says 'no spring chicken' they mean 'not young' anymore.