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Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

little one

English answer:

1. [non-pejorative] (informal) kiddo; (everyday) young, inexperienced; 2. (pejorative) pipsqueak; small or insignificant person

Added to glossary by Michael Powers (PhD)
Jan 27, 2008 03:31
16 yrs ago
English term

Little

English Art/Literary Linguistics
"The brightest, most ambitious young people learn their crafts faster than career tracks say they can. Some companies and some wonderful managers are happy to harness this energy. But others say the equivalent of "slow down, little one!"

What does it mean by saying "little one" here ?
Responses
4 pipsqueak; small or insignificant person
5 +3 young, inexperienced
4 newbie
4 [term of endearment used to a child]
Change log

Jan 27, 2008 04:04: Michael Powers (PhD) Created KOG entry

Jan 27, 2008 09:11: Tony M changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"

Jan 27, 2008 10:26: Michael Powers (PhD) changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/52429">Michael Powers (PhD)'s</a> old entry - "little"" to ""pipsqueak; small or insignificant person""

Jan 27, 2008 10:26: Michael Powers (PhD) changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/52429">Michael Powers (PhD)'s</a> old entry - "little one"" to ""1. [non-pejorative] (informal) kiddo; (everyday) young, inexperience; 2. (pejorative) pipsqueak; small or insignificant person""

Feb 5, 2008 19:20: Michael Powers (PhD) changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"

Responses

4 mins
Selected

pipsqueak; small or insignificant person

pip·squeak [ píp skwk ] (plural pip·squeaks)


noun
Definition:

small or insignificant person or thing: somebody or something that is small or insignificant, but nevertheless often annoying or troublesome ( informal )

Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

I understand it to be synonymous of "pipsqueak" in this context.

Mike :)


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Note added at 5 mins (2008-01-27 03:36:32 GMT)
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How dare these young go-getters be so enthusiastic and eager to participate - slow down and stay in your place!!

This is how I read it.

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Note added at 33 mins (2008-01-27 04:04:17 GMT) Post-grading
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My pleasure - glad it helped.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Teresa Reinhardt : I think this may well be in the dictionary, but the idiomatic expression that's actually used would be "kiddo"
2 hrs
That was not my interpretation; however, I can see how you could very well be right. It all depends on the entonation.
neutral Tony M : I have to agree with Teresa; this suggestion has an almost pejorative connnotation that the original certainly does not; at worst, it is slightly patronizing
5 hrs
In my opinion it has a pejorative connotation; however, since you, Teresa and writeaway, an probably others, believe that it doesn't, I'll include both a pejorative and non-pejorative possibility in the glossary. Without entonation, who can be sure?
neutral writeaway : you've entered the WRONG term in the gloss. the actual term is "little one". and agree with others. if someone doesn't understand 'little one', why explain it with 100% colloquialism?
6 hrs
You are right - it should be "little one". Moreover, since my interpretation is that it is pejorative, I will place a non-pejorative and pejorative possibility in the glossary.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you very much for your thoughful answer !"
+3
4 mins

young, inexperienced

A common way of describing children or young people when they are bursting with desire and energy to just go do stuff.
Note from asker:
I wish I could have choosen you as well. Thank you very much. Your answer also helps.
Peer comment(s):
agree Andrey Belousov (X) : there you go!
13 mins
Thanks, Andrey!
agree Margaret Schroeder
29 mins
Thank you, GoodWords.
agree Jack Doughty
4 hrs
Thank you, Jack.
Something went wrong...
5 mins

newbie

'Little one' is the 'new kid on the block', the 'newbie' the inexperienced person who wants to run before they can walk. Their seniors will suggest they should take things a bit more slowly and be sure of learning their job properly and accumulating proper skills and experience as a solid resource for the future.
Note from asker:
Thank you very much. Your answer also helps a lot.
Something went wrong...
5 hrs
English term (edited): little one

[term of endearment used to a child]

The use of 'little one' here clearly connotes talking in a somewhat patronizing way to a child.

As M/M says, in effect, that is because it is a superior talking to someone below them in the heirarchy, who may possibly be a more recent recruit to the organization.

But I feel the main sentiment is one of patronizing, saying "Daddy knows best" — and also, because it is associated with 'slow down', one could read the suggestion of "walk, don't run, in case you fall" — cf. the popular saying "Don't try to run before you can walk"
Note from asker:
Thank you so much. Your answer helps a lot.
Something went wrong...
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