You're robbing the cradle!

Hey everyone do you understand what that idiom means? It is North American English. We use it  when someone is dating someone much younger than them. A cradle is a baby's bed!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cradle_2_(PSF).png

So someone who is robbing the cradle is stealing a baby from their bed, it is a bit of a joking/teasing expression used between friends.

 Anthony is robbing the cradle! His new girlfriend is 20 years younger than him!

It can also be used as a noun: a cradle-robber.

Pat: Tim's a real cradle-robber, he's always dating much younger women. When he was 25 he dated a 15 year old!

Sheila: Ewww, gross.

That expression can be used for both men & women who date people much younger than them. A fairly new expression is: a cougar. This refers to a woman who dates much younger guys, usually for their bodies.

Harry likes to go to cougar bars, he loves older women.

Shannon's a real cougar, she's always hitting on young guys since her divorce.

Have a nice week,

Phil