off the boat


fresh off the boat

Newly immigrated, especially without having yet assimilated the host country's language, culture, and/or behavior. My grandfather was still fresh off the boat when he opened up his business here in 1820, and he didn't speak a lick of English.See also: boat, fresh, off

off the boat

recently arrived from a foreign country, and by implication naive or an outsider. informal, often offensiveSee also: boat, off