Johnny-come-lately

or John·nie-come-late·ly

[ jon-ee-kuhm-leyt-lee ]

noun,plural John·ny-come-late·lies, John·nies-come-late·ly.
  1. a late arrival or participant; newcomer: the Johnny-come-latelies producing space-war films after the trend had ended.

Origin of Johnny-come-lately

1
First recorded in 1825–35; from the proper name Johnny

Words Nearby Johnny-come-lately

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Johnny-come-lately in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Johnny-come-lately

Johnny-come-lately

nounplural Johnny-come-latelies or Johnnies-come-lately
  1. a brash newcomer, novice, or recruit

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with Johnny-come-lately

Johnny-come-lately

A newcomer, as in She may be a Johnny-come-lately on the board, but she's doing a fine job with publicity. [1830s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.