what does "rob the cradle mean"

Posted by Frankie on February 03, 2000

In Reply to: what does "rob the cradle mean" posted by Josh Perlman on February 02, 2000 at

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: : : : What does it mean when someone says "rob the cratle" ?? someone said that to me and I don't know what it means.

: : : If you mean "Rob the cradle," then it means to date or marry someone much younger than you are.

: : I've also heard this expression to mean dating someone under age (as in legally under age or to put it in another phrase--"Jailbait"). And, I've heard it imply that by robbing the cradle you are robbing the innocence--- because, a sense of their youth is lost and a maturity gap narrows to compensate for the age difference. I think depending on the spoken situation the meaning can "slightly" vary. But, I like the first explanation better than my own.

: No, I don't think it is intended to mean dating someone legally underage. This expression is used on TV, for example, often when someone is dating a collage student when they are 30 or so. The term basically means a large gap in ages. It could even mean a 70 year old man dating a 40 year old woman. 40 isn't young, but it's all relative.

: I stand corrected. Who can argue with a "Collage" student who considers 40 old.
My apologies.