tenderfoot

Definition

An inexperienced person; a novice.

Etymology

From tender + foot. Refers to the delicate feet of newcomers to ranching or mining areas. First attested 1866.

Example Sentences

• "Watson had risen so hurriedly that he had not been careful about his “tarp” and water had run into his bed. But that wouldn’t disconcert anybody but a tenderfoot."
• ""Lavender Cowboy," a pseudo folk song, is a tale of futility. It tells of a tenderfoot "with only two hairs on his chest," whose heroic attempt to prove his manhood results in his death."

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