English

Noun

salad days pl ‎(plural only)

1. A period of inexperienced youthful innocence accompanied by enthusiasm and idealism.
   • 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “chapter XX”, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, OCLC 1227855:

     “I'll bet he was swiping things as a small boy.” “Only biscuits.” “I beg your pardon?” “Or crackers you would call them, wouldn't you? He was telling me he occasionally pinched a cracker or two in his salad days.”

See also

• halcyon days

References

1. ↑ Jack, Albert (2005). Red herrings and white elephants: the origins of the phrases we use everyday. HarperCollins. page 44. ISBN 978-0-06-084337-3. “The phrase is a simple one with a simple origin provided, once again, by Shakespeare.”