fair-haired boy
Someone who is given preferential treatment. The phrase does not have to describe a young male, despite using the word "boy." My oldest brother is definitely the fair-haired boy in our family—he can do no wrong as far as our parents are concerned. The world-famous rapper is always treated like a fair-haired boy when he comes to the casino, given the very finest food, drink, and entertainment. Considering what little experience Philip has in politics, how has he become the fair-haired boy in the party all of a sudden?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
fair-haired boy
Fig. a favored person. (Not necessarily young or a boy.) The teacher's fair-haired boy always does well on tests. The supervisor's son was the fair-haired boy on the construction site.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
fair-haired boy
A favorite, a person who is given special treatment. For example, Today the attorney general is the governor's fair-haired boy. This term alludes to the preference of blond ("fair") hair over dark hair. [Late 1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
your blue-eyed boy
mainly BRITISH or your fair-haired boy
mainly AMERICANSomeone's blue-eyed boy or fair-haired boy is a man that they like very much and give special treatment to. He'd lost interest in Willy by that time — I was the blue-eyed boy. For ten years you've been everybody's blue-eyed boy. You're one of the best-known magistrates in the country. Okay, okay. I won't do anything to hurt your fair-haired boy. And business is business. We'll work together as we always have. Note: You usually use these expressions to show that you think the person is wrong to treat the man so favourably.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
fair-haired boy
n. a promising young man; a young man who receives favoritism. Ted is the boss’s fair-haired boy now, but he’ll be just like the rest of us in a month.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
fair-haired boy
The current favorite, the individual singled out for special treatment. This male counterpart of “gentlemen prefer blondes” comes from the late nineteenth century. “The old crowd of Fair-haired Correspondent Boys who hung to the ear of President Roosevelt” appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1909.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer