bearer
(redirected from bearers)Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal, Financial, Encyclopedia.
bearer of bad news
Literally, someone who delivers bad news. The bearer often identifies as such as an introductory warning that they have bad news to deliver. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid your grandfather passed away late last night. We were celebrating our teacher's absence until Susie, the bearer of bad news, told us that the principal was coming to give us our exam.
standard-bearer
1. A military member who carries the flag of their unit. The soldier marched proudly, flag in hand, as the standard-bearer of his unit.
2. The widely-accepted leader of a cause, movement, or ideology. She rose above her contemporaries to become the standard-bearer of the women's rights movement.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
the standard bearer
COMMON The standard bearer of a group of people or a belief is a person who represents them. He saw himself as the standard bearer of the right of the party. She's become very much the standard bearer for traditional, family values. Note: A standard is a flag with badges or symbols on it, which represent a person or organization. In the past, a standard bearer was the person who led an army into battle carrying a standard.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012