Where did the phrase robbing the cradle come from?

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asked Feb 20, 2022 in Words & Wordplay by hardact2follow (1,650 points)
Where did the phrase robbing the cradle come from?

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answered Feb 20, 2022 by Lagopusfoxy (2,210 points)
The phrase robbing the cradle comes from the 1900's.

The saying robbing the cradle originated in the first half of the 1900s.

A lesser-used meaning involves any type of exploitation of the very young.

An example of this could be the recruitment of young teenagers to fight in the civil war.

Robbing the cradle is a phrase or saying that means someone is dating someone several years younger than themselves.

To rob the cradle means to marry or date someone who is much younger than you.

Robert is 45, but his girlfriend is only 25.

Yeah, this isn't the first time he's robbed the cradle.

Robbing the cradle is also known as a cradle robber.

Rob means to steal and cradle is a bed for a baby.

Therefore, someone who robs a cradle, in a literal sense, is stealing a young baby from its cradle.

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