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new kid in town

new kid in town

2 4.3
A person new to a place who people notice
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : nuevo en la ciudad
  • As the new kid in town, Clara quickly caught the attention of her classmates with her unique style.

Examples

  • When the school year started, everyone wanted to befriend the new kid in town.

  • Ladies and gentlemen, there's a new kid in town!

  • I was the new kid in town then, not captain of the football team, and she was always there for me.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • There's a new kid in town.

  • It's always nice to have family connections when you're a new kid in town.

  • Gather round because there's a new kid in town.

  • By the way, Sonny, there's a new kid in town.

  • It would seem to me they would have been able to find someone, somewhere with experience doing this rather than handing over a sweet contract to the new kid in town who is already getting a lot of incentives to be here.

    Blog text (15)
  • I've got to say though, guys, there might be a new kid in town with this Marc Jacobs at Lash mascara.

  • Being the new kid in town can be intimidating, but it also offers a chance to make new friends.

Synonyms

rookie
vsnew kid in town
  • Informal
276 3.7

A person new to a job or activity who has little experience

stresses being noticeable in the environment as well as being inexperienced
newcomer
vsnew kid in town
123 1.6

A person who has recently arrived in a place, joined a group, or started an activity

is used when that arrival also draws attention from others
newbie
vsnew kid in town
  • Slang
60 4.7

A person who is new to a job or activity and has little experience

focuses more on being noticeable in the new place rather than just inexperience
freshman
vsnew kid in town
  • US
41 2.4

A person new to a group or activity in their first year

is broader, highlighting noticeable arrival beyond just first-year status
new kid on the block
vsnew kid in town
  • Informal
8 3.7

A person or thing new to a group that others do not know yet

adds the idea that the arrival is attracting noticeable attention
Johnny-come-lately
vsnew kid in town
  • Informal
2 9.1

A person who recently joined a group and is seen as a newcomer

focuses more on being a conspicuous arrival rather than merely being late
fledgling
vsnew kid in town
1 6.8

A person or group new to an activity with little experience

adds social noticeability to mere lack of experience
frosh
vsnew kid in town
  • Informal
1 8.8

A new person with little experience in a job or group

is similar but implies the arrival attracts others' attention more clearly
total newb
vsnew kid in town
  • Slang
9.2

A person who is new to an activity and has little skill

is used when the person also becomes the focus of others in that context
just a joey
vsnew kid in town
  • Australian
9.9

A person who is new and not experienced in a group or job

emphasizes being noticed by others rather than just youth or inexperience
neoteric
vsnew kid in town
9.9

A person new to a job or group

is more informal and highlights attention from others rather than formality

Antonyms

153 4.1

Having long experience and skill in a job or activity

1 3.7

A person with a lot of experience in a job or activity

How New

new kid in town
  • Informal
2 4.3
new kid on the block
  • Informal
8 3.7
newcomer
123 1.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

new + kid + in + town

The meaning 'a newcomer' is directly and compositionally derivable from 'new' + 'kid' + 'in' + 'town' — someone who is new in a place — following a common locative noun-phrase pattern. Although 'kid' is informal and can sometimes imply youth, that register nuance does not prevent a B1 learner who knows the words from understanding the phrase as ‘a new person in town’.

Etymology

New kid in town comes from the simple image of a new kid who arrives in a small place and everyone looks at them because they are different. So, it means 'a newcomer who attracts attention'.