no spring chicken
English edit
Etymology edit
From the description of a young person as a spring chicken.
Noun edit
no spring chicken (uncountable)
- (litotes) Said of a person who is no longer particularly young.
- Synonym: no longer in the first flush of youth
- Synonyms: coffin dodger, oldster, silver top; see also Thesaurus:old person
- He ran up three flights of stairs, and he's no spring chicken.
- 1908, Upton Sinclair, chapter 5, in The Money Changers:
- You know the world. You are no spring chicken.
- 1943 May 10, “The Pot Boils”, in Time:
- A real candidate arose to challenge dapper Robert Rice ("Buncombe Bob") Reynolds, aging coxcomb of the Senate. The candidate, no spring chicken himself: tall, lean Clyde Roark Hoey (pronounced Hooey), 65, one of the most popular Governors the state ever had.
- 1981 November 23, “Newest Sub, Oldest Sailor”, in Time:
- He doubtless hoped for a sympathetic ruling from President Reagan, at 70 no spring chicken himself.
Translations edit
person who is no longer particularly young
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