A rookie is a newcomer, especially in a sports team, the police or a new job: a rookie goalkeeper. It's more common in American English. A rookie mistake is a beginner-level error: forgetting to save a file, taking the bus in the wrong direction. Pros make them too, so the phrase carries a light sting. Neutrally, a basic mistake.
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a rookie; rookie players; a rookie mistake; rookies
- The rookie goalkeeper stayed calm during her first match with the team.
- I made a rookie mistake and forgot to save the edited file.
- Experienced volunteers showed the rookies where to collect their equipment.
What changed
First versionI made a rookies mistake and forgot to save the edited file.
RevisionI made a rookie mistake and forgot to save the edited file.
It's the kind of mistake beginners make, so the plural rookies feels logical. But a noun in front of another noun works like an adjective and doesn't change: a rookie mistake, rookie mistakes.
A newbie is new to a hobby or community, and the word sounds gentle. An amateur does something for years, just not for money. A rookie has only recently started, usually in a profession or sport.
Your turn
Choose the form used before mistake: I forgot to attach the document—a classic ___ mistake.
Show the answer
rookie — You need rookie: in a rookie mistake it describes the type of mistake and stays the same. Rookies means several people and doesn't fit here.
Describe a simple mistake in an activity you know well. Use rookie mistake and say exactly what was missed.
I made a rookie mistake by checking the bus number but not its direction.
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