shavetail

English

Etymology

From shave +‎ tail.

Noun

shavetail (plural shavetails)

1. (US) An inexperienced person, especially a newly-commissioned military officer.
   • 1962, Joseph Commings, “The X Street Murders”, in The Mammoth Book of Perfect Crimes & Impossible Mysteries, published 2006:

     Yass. I never got above the rank of shavetail. We were the dogfaces who gave ’em hell at Chateau Thierry.

   • 2010, Laurence Andries, Bruce C. McKenna, The Pacific (miniseries), episode 5, spoken by Elmo M. Haney (Gary Sweet):

     You stupid, goddamn shavetail son of a bitch! You keep your fucking weapon pointed downrange or I will shove that fuckin' piece up your sorry fucking ass!