The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #8809   Message #55355
Posted By: gargoyle
23-Jan-99 - 01:00 PM
Thread Name: she shipped it green, but what does it mean?
Subject: RE: she shipped it green, but what does it mean?
The Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang 1994 Vol 1.

green n. 1. GREENHORN 1. Mil & Naut a raw recruit

1825 in OEDS:It appears that George Charteris....had been "doing" the green, and taking in the "deep one," quite in the gull-catching style.

1888 in OED The master sweater gets hold of a new hand, a greener, as he is termed, and pays him a shilling a day.