Englishcream of the crop
Meaning: The best.
Example: “The academy only accepts the cream of the crop.”
Equivalents in other languages
French: Le dessus du panier Literally: The top of the basket
Origin: "Cream" has meant "the best part" in English since the 1500s, a natural enough metaphor given that cream really does rise to the top of milk left to sit, physically separating the richest part from the rest. The French idiom crème de la crème — literally "the cream of the cream" — had become familiar in English by around 1800, and its influence likely shaped the American "cream of the crop," first clearly documented in an 1851 Boston newspaper describing cotton "made of the best... the cream of the crop." "Crop" was likely chosen as much for its alliteration with "cream" as for any specific agricultural precision, pairing the image of a harvest with the image of milk's richest layer to describe the very best of any group.
More English idioms
- dawn on someone To realize something that was perhaps already apparent to others.
- someone's days are numbered There is only a short time before something ends.
- dead to the world Fast asleep.
- deal someone in To include someone in something, especially a card game.
- diamond in the rough An unpolished or unsophisticated person that has potential.
- divide the spoils To give portions of the goods captured during a war to the winners of the war.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Eres un crack You're brilliant — a total star at what you do.
- Eres muy majo/a You're a lovely, kind, and genuine person — the nicest way to compliment someone's charac…
- Tienes mucho corazón You're extraordinarily generous and warm — you give more than you need to.
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