|
Fresh off the boat (often abbreviated as F.O.B., FOB or freshie) is a derogatory slang phrase applied to people of foreign nationality (most commonly Asians in the United States and Canada), who are visiting an English-speaking area either as tourists or, more usually, as work permit applicants. It was originally applied to European immigrants who had just stepped off of a ship. In United States, Asian Americans who are not FOBs are commonly described as being Americanized.
The term implies that the person has not yet assimilated to the common regional cultures, language, and behavior in the United States. FOBs can be easily identified by their fashion, behavior towards others, and their accents. The characteristics of FOBs are magnified as they tend to co-habitate in the same cities.
A telling characteristic of FOBs is their tendency to form close social cliques that are closed to those of other nationalities. A Chinese FOB group might be more accepting of a Korean FOB over a Caucasian, but mostly they only associate with like nationalities.
Derivative adjective forms of FOB include fobby, fobbish and fobulous, a portmanteau of "fob" and "fabulous".
Similar phrases are "Just off the Farm" or "Just come in from the Bush/Jungle/Mountains/Backblocks".
A more modern twist to this term is "J.O.J.", meaning "just off the jet".
| 
