What does the cream of the crop mean?

individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class. He was certain that the judges would recognize his show rabbit as the cream of the crop.
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What does the phrase cream of the crop mean?

The best or choicest of anything, as in The apples from this orchard are definitely the cream of the crop. The noun cream has been used to mean “the best” since the 16th century. The French equivalent of the present term, la crème de la crème (“the cream of the cream”) was familiar in English by 1800.
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Where does the term cream of the crop?

“The cream of the crop” is a phrase that is inspired by the French phrase 'la crème de la crème,' which loosely translates to “the cream of the cream”. This phrase is used when someone tries to convey the highest value or quality of a person or object. Example in use: “These two employees are extremely hardworking.
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What's another phrase for cream of the crop?

In this page you can discover 18 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for cream-of-the-crop, like: cream of the cream, best of the best, pick-of-the-litter, beau-monde, aristocracy, beautiful people, haut monde, high-society, privileged class, smart set and the best and brightest.
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Is the cream of the crop an idiom?

So the idiom cream of the crop refers to the best part of a batch. The expression is several centuries old and is related, in meaning if not etymologically, to expressions like crème de la crème (meaning the best of the best). In several European languages cream is used to mean the most excellent part.
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idioms 101 - the cream of the crop



What does crème de la crème mean in English?

Definition of crème de la crème

: the very best.
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How do you use cream of the crop in a sentence?

the best of a group of similar things or people: The medical school's graduates are considered to be the cream of the crop and can get jobs wherever they want to.
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What is Beau Monde meaning?

Definition of beau monde

: the world of high society and fashion.
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What does haute monde mean?

French, literally, high world.
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What does chalk and cheese mean?

When you say that two people are like 'chalk and cheese', you are suggesting that the two are very different from each other; they have nothing in common. The expression, which has the same meaning as 'apples and oranges', can be used with things as well. No one is really sure about the origin of this idiom.
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What does top of the crop mean?

Definition of top crop

: the harvest from the upper and younger portion of plants (as cotton)
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What does the saying the cream always rises to the top mean?

Meaning: A good person or idea cannot go unnoticed for long, just as cream poured in coffee or tea eventually rises to the top.
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What is meant by cherry on top?

(also the cherry on (top of) the sundae, the cherry on top) something that makes something that is already good even better, or perfect: For his career, the Olympic Games would be the cherry on the cake.
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What does taking the bull by the horns mean?

: to deal with a difficult situation in a very direct or confident way She decided to take the bull by the horns and try to solve the problem without any further delay.
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What does the phrase carte blanche mean?

Carte blanche is much like a blank check. In French, carte means "document" and blanche means "blank," so the phrase means "blank document." English retained that literal meaning: a carte blanche was a blank document signed in advance by one party and given to the other with permission to fill in conditions later.
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What is a bete?

Definition of bete

(Entry 1 of 2) in certain card games. : subject to a penalty for failure to fulfill one's contract also : down, beaten.
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What is the definition of a bon vivant?

Definition of bon vivant

: a sociable person who has cultivated and refined tastes especially with respect to food and drink She has become a bon vivant since moving to the city.
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What is a word for the best of the best?

synonyms for best of the best
  • pick of the litter.
  • privileged class.
  • smart set.
  • the elite.
  • the finest.
  • the privileged.
  • upper class.
  • upper crust.
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What is cream of the cream?

Crème de la crème (French, literally 'cream of the cream') is an idiom meaning "the best of the best", "superlative", or "the very best". It may also refer to: Creme de la Creme (band), a defunct German band.
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What is meaning of cream of society?

Cream is used in expressions such as the cream of society and the cream of British athletes to refer to the best people or things of a particular kind.
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What does cream crowd mean?

to be the best in class. when referring to people, this phrase points to really rich or influential people who are far away from commoners.
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What is the meaning ne plus ultra?

Definition of ne plus ultra

1 : the highest point capable of being attained : acme. 2 : the most profound degree of a quality or state.
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Is the jewel in the crown meaning?

Definition of jewel in the crown

: something that is the most valuable, important, or admired among others of its kind He owns several successful businesses but this company is the jewel in the crown.
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