A newcomer to a particular area, group, or field; someone who has recently arrived and is still establishing themselves.
This phrase emerged in American English in the mid-20th century, drawing from the literal experience of children moving to new neighborhoods where they had to prove themselves to established local groups. 'Block' refers to a city block or neighborhood area. The expression gained widespread popularity and was famously used as the name of the boy band New Kids on the Block in the 1980s.
The phrase captures a universal human experience - that feeling of being the outsider trying to fit in. It's interesting how it specifically uses 'kid' rather than 'person,' suggesting that being new makes us feel young and vulnerable regardless of our actual age, reverting to that childhood experience of navigating social hierarchies.
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