babe in the woods

Idioms  

1. An innocent or very naive person who is apt to be duped or victimized, as in She was a babe in the woods where the stock market was concerned. The term originated in a popular ballad of 1595, “The Children in the Wood,” about two young orphans who are abandoned in a forest and die.

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Example Sentences

And Angel Lin’s assured and anchoring performance toes a delicate line, presenting Maya as neither a babe in the woods nor a wunderkind fully prepared for the magnitude of her mission.

From New York Times • Jan. 26, 2023

In his book, Always Red. which is published next month, Mr McCluskey questions whether the current Labour leader is a "babe in the woods" or "altogether more calculating".

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2021

Yeah, he's the babe in the woods, he's outside the gambling arena and allows the Rebecca Hall character to connect to a different kind of life.

From The Guardian • Jun. 21, 2012

“I’m a babe in the woods where all that is concerned,” he says.

From Inc • Feb. 13, 2012

I am a babe in the woods, abandoned at the foot of a tree.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver