The phrase “salad days” means a time of youthful innocence, inexperience, or idealism. It can also mean a period of success or prosperity. The expression was coined by William Shakespeare in his play Antony and Cleopatra, where Cleopatra says: “My salad days, / When I was green in judgment, cold in blood/To say as I said then!” This implies that she was young and naive when she loved Caesar, and now she is older and wiser with Antony. The word “green” suggests freshness, immaturity, or lack of experience, while “cold” implies restraint, caution, or lack of passion. The metaphor may also compare youth to salad, which is raw, crisp, and highly flavored.
The phrase has been used by many writers and speakers to refer to their early years or their peak moments. For example, Queen Elizabeth II used the phrase in her Silver Jubilee speech in 1977, saying: “Although that vow was made in my salad days, when I was green in judgment, I do not regret nor retract one word of it.” She was referring to her promise to serve God and her people when she was 21 years old.
