Where did the phrase creme de la creme come from?
The phrase originates in France where items like cream and cheese have been popular since many centuries. They make food tastier and more elegant and hence the phrase points to things or people who are either from the exclusive category or are able to deliver the best result.
What does crème mean in English?
cream
Definition of crème
1 : a sweet liqueur. 2 : cream or a preparation made with or resembling cream used in cooking. 3 : cream sense 2b.
When a firm is the creme de la creme they are considered?
the very best; choicest parts or members.
What does crème de la 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.
What gender is crème in French?
The gender of crème is feminine. E.g. la crème.
What language is crème?
“Creme,” pronounced cream, is a mis-spelled, mis-pronounced Americanization of the French word for cream, crème (pronounced KREHM). It is used in the U.S. to make chocolates and desserts seem more special; i.e., French, without the correct French pronunciation and accent mark.
What does the saying cream rises to the top mean?
cream rising to the top. IDIOM. Cream rises to the top. A good person or idea cannot go unnoticed for long, just as cream poured in coffee or tea eventually rises to the top.
What does it mean big cheese?
The big cheese is the person who holds the most power in any situation. If you overhear someone at work describe you as “the big cheese,” it means that he thinks of you as the most important person in the office. You might also call someone important the head honcho or the top dog.
How do you pronounce crème dela crème?
What does smart cookie mean?
Definition of smart cookie
: a person who is smart You’re one smart cookie.
What does cherry on top mean?
(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. He put the cherry on top of the cake by scoring for the third time.
What does the idiom over the moon mean?
very pleased
phrase. If you say that you are over the moon, you mean that you are very pleased about something. [British, informal] Synonyms: ecstatic, transported, delighted, thrilled More Synonyms of over the moon.
What is the meaning of to bring home the bacon?
Definition of bring home the bacon
: to earn the money that is needed to live He worked hard all week to bring home the bacon for his family.
What does Barrel of Laughs mean?
informal. : someone or something that is very funny —often used in negative statements or in an ironic way to describe someone or something that is not really funny Several people have lost their jobs recently, so the office isn’t exactly a barrel of laughs these days.
What is the meaning of the idiom in a pickle?
in a difficult situation
But you know what it means: to be stuck in a difficult situation. English idioms are funny things, pulled out of the wordy hodgepodge of history, and “in a pickle” is one of the more obscure of the bunch.
What does cool as a cucumber mean?
Calm
Calm and composed, self-possessed, as in Despite the mishap Margaret was cool as a cucumber. This idiom may be based on the fact that in hot weather the inside of cucumbers remains cooler than the air. [c. 1600] For a synonym, see cool, calm, and collected.
What does it mean to be born with a silver spoon?
Definition of born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
: born into a very wealthy family.
What is the meaning of idiom a red letter day?
red-letter day. A special occasion, as in When Jack comes home from his tour of duty, that’ll be a red-letter day. This term alludes to the practice of marking feast days and other holy days in red on church calendars, dating from the 1400s. [ c. 1700]
What does icing on the cake mean?
Definition of icing on the cake
: something extra that makes a good thing even better The concert itself was great, and getting to meet the band afterward was (the) icing on the cake.
What does it mean to have your heart in your mouth?
Definition of heart in one’s mouth
informal. : to be very excited or nervous about something anticipated He waited for her arrival with his heart in his mouth. You sure don’t seem relaxed—in fact, it seems like your heart is in your mouth.
What does blue in the face mean?
Exhausted from anger, strain, or other great effort. For example, You can argue until you’re blue in the face, but I refuse to go. This expression alludes to the bluish skin color resulting from lack of oxygen, which presumably might result from talking until one was breathless. See also under talk one’s arm off.