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.

a late arrival or participant; newcomer: the Johnny-come-latelies producing space-war films after the trend had ended.

Origin of Johnny-come-lately

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. 2023

How to use Johnny-come-lately in a sentence

For the record, Huckabee is no Johnny-come-lately to the cause of overhauling the tax system.
Huckabee: ‘A Tax Is Punishment’ | Lloyd Green | September 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Neither is it some bush-league Johnny-come-lately gathering with C-list speakers and a shoe-string budget.
CPAC: Come for the Crazy, Stay for the Party | Michelle Cottle | March 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for Johnny-come-lately

Johnny-come-lately

nounplural Johnny-come-latelies or Johnnies-come-lately

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]

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