Babies. Bundles of joy (sometimes chaos!). But beyond the sleepless nights and endless diaper changes, babies have woven themselves into the fabric of our language through a surprising number of idioms. Let’s crawl through these playful expressions and see how they can add a little “milk and cookies” to your conversations.
List of Baby Idioms
Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
Cry over spilled milk
Bundle of joy
Drop a bundle
Hit the bottle
Not have a pot to pee in
To be as helpless as a babe in arms
Throw the baby out with the bathwater
Be in the family way
Be as cute as a button
Be a babe in the woods
Be the apple of someone’s eye
Be on the bottle
A babe in arms
As easy as taking candy from a baby
Baby boom
Baby blues
Baby talk
Cry like a baby
Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater
In the family way
Like taking candy from a baby
Throw out the baby with the bathwater
Wet behind the ears
Baby steps
Make a mountain out of a molehill
Sleep like a baby
Babe magnet
Baby face
Baby fat
Baby on board
Baby shower
Like a baby
Baby boomer
Crybaby
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
As cute as a button
Not know which end is up
Sweet as a baby’s breath
A babe in the woods
Big baby
Cry over spilt milk
Not have a pot to piss in
Be born yesterday
Born yesterday
As easy as pie
Wet nurse
Baby mama
Baby daddy
Throw out the bathwater but keep the baby
Be a big baby
Be a crybaby
Be a bundle of joy
Be a newborn
Taking Baby Steps
Sleep Like a Baby
Weak as a Baby
Cry Baby
Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater
Smooth as a Baby’s Bottom
Change Your Diaper
Leave Someone Holding the Baby
Second Childhood
Baby Idioms with Meaning and Examples
Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
Meaning: Born into a wealthy or privileged family.
Example: Despite being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he worked hard to achieve success on his own.
Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Worrying about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
Example: There’s no use crying over spilled milk; let’s focus on finding a solution to the problem.
Bundle of joy
Meaning: A baby, typically bringing happiness and joy to a family.
Example: Ever since their bundle of joy arrived, their home has been filled with laughter and love.
Drop a bundle
Meaning: To lose a large amount of money.
Example: He dropped a bundle investing in that risky venture.
Hit the bottle
Meaning: To start drinking alcohol heavily.
Example: After his divorce, he started hitting the bottle pretty hard.
Not have a pot to pee in
Meaning: To be very poor or destitute.
Example: They were so poor they didn’t even have a pot to pee in.
To be as helpless as a babe in arms
Meaning: To be utterly helpless.
Example: When it comes to fixing cars, I’m as helpless as a babe in arms.
Throw the baby out with the bathwater
Meaning: To discard something valuable while disposing of something worthless.
Example: Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater; there are still some good ideas in this project.
Be in the family way
Meaning: To be pregnant.
Example: She’s in the family way and expecting twins.
Be as cute as a button
Meaning: To be charming or adorable.
Example: Look at that puppy; it’s as cute as a button!
Be a babe in the woods
Meaning: To be naive or inexperienced.
Example: He’s a babe in the woods when it comes to city life; he grew up in a small town.
Be the apple of someone’s eye
Meaning: To be cherished or loved by someone.
Example: His granddaughter is the apple of his eye; he dotes on her endlessly.
Be on the bottle
Meaning: To be dependent on alcohol.
Example: He’s been on the bottle for years; he needs help.
A babe in arms
Meaning: A very young child, typically one who is still being carried.
Example: The party was adults-only; no babes in arms allowed.
As easy as taking candy from a baby
Meaning: Extremely easy.
Example: Winning the game was as easy as taking candy from a baby.
Baby boom
Meaning: A period marked by a significant increase in birth rates.
Example: The 1950s saw a baby boom in many Western countries.
Baby blues
Meaning: Feelings of sadness or depression experienced by a mother after giving birth.
Example: She’s been struggling with the baby blues since her son was born.
Baby talk
Meaning: Simplified or exaggerated speech used when talking to babies.
Example: It’s cute when parents use baby talk with their infants.
Cry like a baby
Meaning: To cry loudly and uncontrollably.
Example: He cried like a baby when he lost his favorite toy.
Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater
Meaning: Don’t discard something valuable while getting rid of something worthless.
Example: Let’s salvage what we can from the project; we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
In the family way
Meaning: Pregnant.
Example: She’s in the family way again; they’re expecting their third child.
Like taking candy from a baby
Meaning: Extremely easy.
Example: Solving that math problem was like taking candy from a baby for her.
Throw out the baby with the bathwater
Meaning: To discard something valuable while getting rid of something worthless.
Example: Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater; there are still some good ideas in this proposal.
Wet behind the ears
Meaning: Lacking experience or maturity.
Example: He’s still wet behind the ears when it comes to managing a team.
Baby steps
Meaning: Small steps or actions taken to achieve a larger goal.
Example: She’s recovering from surgery and taking baby steps towards walking again.
Make a mountain out of a molehill
Meaning: To exaggerate a minor issue and make it seem much more serious or difficult than it really is.
Example: Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill; it’s just a small scratch on the car.
Sleep like a baby
Meaning: To sleep deeply and soundly.
Example: After the long hike, she slept like a baby.
Babe magnet
Meaning: Someone who is very attractive to members of the opposite sex.
Example: With his good looks and charming personality, he’s always been a babe magnet.
Baby face
Meaning: A person with a youthful or innocent-looking face.
Example: Despite being in his thirties, he still has a baby face.
Baby fat
Meaning: Excess fat on a young child, typically around the cheeks and chin.
Example: She’ll lose her baby fat as she gets older.
Baby on board
Meaning: A sign displayed in a vehicle to indicate that there is a baby or young child as a passenger.
Example: Be careful driving; there’s a baby on board.
Baby shower
Meaning: A party held to celebrate the impending birth of a baby and to give gifts to the expectant mother.
Example: They threw her a baby shower to celebrate the upcoming arrival of her twins.
Like a baby
Meaning: To sleep very well.
Example: After a long day at work, I slept like a baby.
Baby boomer
Meaning: A person born during the post-World War II baby boom.
Example: Many baby boomers are now reaching retirement age.
Crybaby
Meaning: Someone who cries easily or frequently over minor issues.
Example: Don’t be such a crybaby; it’s just a scratch.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: Don’t risk everything on a single venture.
Example: He diversified his investments so that he wouldn’t be putting all his eggs in one basket.
As cute as a button
Meaning: Very cute or charming.
Example: Her new puppy is as cute as a button.
Not know which end is up
Meaning: To be confused or disoriented.
Example: With all the changes at work, I feel like I don’t know which end is up anymore.
Sweet as a baby’s breath
Meaning: Extremely sweet or pleasant.
Example: The fragrance of the flowers was as sweet as a baby’s breath.
A babe in the woods
Meaning: Someone who is naive or inexperienced.
Example: He’s a babe in the woods when it comes to cooking; he can barely boil water.
Big baby
Meaning: Someone who behaves immaturely or childishly.
Example: Stop being such a big baby and deal with your problems like an adult.
Cry over spilt milk
Meaning: To worry about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
Example: There’s no use crying over spilt milk; let’s focus on finding a solution.
Not have a pot to piss in
Meaning: To be extremely poor.
Example: He doesn’t have a pot to piss in; he’s living paycheck to paycheck.
Be born yesterday
Meaning: To be naive or easily fooled.
Example: Do you think I was born yesterday? I know when someone’s trying to trick me.
Born yesterday
Meaning: Naive or inexperienced.
Example: She might seem born yesterday, but she’s actually quite savvy.
As easy as pie
Meaning: Extremely easy.
Example: Solving that puzzle was as easy as pie for her.
Wet nurse
Meaning: A woman who breastfeeds and cares for another woman’s child.
Example: In the past, wealthy families often hired wet nurses to care for their babies.
Baby mama
Meaning: The mother of a man’s child, especially when they are not married.
Example: He’s been having issues with his baby mama lately.
Baby daddy
Meaning: The father of a woman’s child, especially when they are not married.
Example: She’s been having trouble getting child support from her baby daddy.
Throw out the bathwater but keep the baby
Meaning: To discard something valuable while getting rid of something worthless.
Example: Let’s make sure we don’t throw out the bathwater but keep the baby when restructuring the company.
Be a big baby
Meaning: To behave immaturely or childishly. Example: Stop whining and acting like a big baby.
Be a crybaby
Meaning: To cry easily or frequently over minor issues.
Example: He’s such a crybaby; he gets emotional over the smallest things.
Be a bundle of joy
Meaning: To bring happiness and joy to others.
Example: Their new puppy is a bundle of joy; it’s brought so much happiness to their home.
Be a newborn
Meaning: To be very young or inexperienced.
Example: In terms of business, he’s practically a newborn; he’s still learning the ropes.
Taking Baby Steps
Meaning: To proceed cautiously, one small step at a time.
Example: We’re taking baby steps with this project to ensure we don’t make any major mistakes.
Sleep Like a Baby
Meaning: To sleep very well and peacefully.
Example: After a long day’s work, I slept like a baby.
Weak as a Baby
Meaning: To be very weak or vulnerable.
Example: After the surgery, he felt as weak as a baby.
Cry Baby
Meaning: Someone who complains a lot or cries easily.
Example: Don’t be such a cry baby; it’s just a scratch.
Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater
Meaning: To discard something valuable while getting rid of something worthless.
Example: Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater; there are still some good ideas in this plan.
Smooth as a Baby’s Bottom
Meaning: Very smooth or soft.
Example: After using the moisturizer, her skin felt as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
Change Your Diaper
Meaning: To change one’s behavior or approach.
Example: If you want to succeed in this company, you’ll need to change your diaper and start taking things more seriously.
Leave Someone Holding the Baby
Meaning: To leave someone else responsible for a difficult situation or task.
Example: When the project failed, he left his team holding the baby while he distanced himself from the situation.
Second Childhood
Meaning: To behave childishly or return to a childlike state, often due to old age or dementia.
Example: In his old age, he seemed to be entering his second childhood, becoming more playful and forgetful.
So next time you’re looking to add a touch of lightheartedness or a relatable reference to your communication, reach for a baby idiom! They’re sure to bring a smile (or a chuckle) to your conversations.
