Immaturity

GREENNESS

Think of a word that describes both the color of unripe fruit and the inexperience of a novice.

Immaturity" hints at something not fully developed, and "greenness" fits perfectly—it literally describes unripeness in fruit or plants, like a green banana. But it also plays on the figurative meaning of being inexperienced or naive, the way we call someone "green" when they're new to a job or situation. The word cleverly ties both the literal and metaphorical senses of not being fully grown or seasoned.