cream of the crop, the

Idioms  

1. 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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Example Sentences

Films that rise to the surface during the Academy Awards season are often considered the cream of the crop, the top of the line.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2022

But the cream of the crop, the absolute Exile on Main Street of the bunch, is the Maysles brothers’ account of the band before, during and after the horror of Altamont.

From The Guardian • Sep. 20, 2018

“You are the cream of the crop, the best of the best. You get injured and put off to the side,” said McDonough, 40, of Spokane, Washington.

From Washington Times • May 18, 2015

This year's Apprentices strived to prove they were the cream of the crop, the most talented undiscovered entrepreneurs Britain has to offer.

From The Guardian • Jul. 18, 2013