salad days
English
Etymology
Coined by William Shakespeare, in Anthony and Cleopatra, act 1, scene 5:[1]
- My salad days, when I was green in judgment.
Noun
- A period of inexperienced youthful innocence accompanied by enthusiasm and idealism.
- 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XX, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:
- “I'll bet he was swiping things as a small boy.” “Only biscuits.” “I beg your pardon?” “Or crackers you would call them, wouldn't you? He was telling me he occasionally pinched a cracker or two in his salad days.”
- 2015 Sir Malcolm Murray, Penny Dreadful s2e6, 23m30s
- Do you know I've not been to a ball in ages? I used to be quite the dancer in my salad days, if you can believe such a thing.