favorite son

American  

noun

U.S. Politics.

1. (at a national political convention) a candidate nominated for office by delegates from the candidate's own state.

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favorite son British  

noun

1. (in the US) a politician popular in his home state but little admired beyond it

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favorite son Cultural  

1. A political figure nominated for the presidency by his or her state's delegation to the national nominating convention of a major party. Favorite sons are rarely serious candidates for the party's nomination. By nominating a favorite son, the delegation honors its nominee while delaying its commitment until the more serious contenders for the nomination can be sorted out.

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favorite son Idioms  

1. A person valued by his or her hometown or organization for his or her achievements, usually political, as in Mary hoped they would treat her as a favorite son and nominate her for state senator. This term was originally employed for a candidate nominated for office by his own locality. Today this usage may ignore gender, as in the example. [c. 1780]

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Etymology

Origin of favorite son

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90

Example Sentences

His arrest completes the social downfall of a man once toasted as the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite son and a dashing wartime helicopter pilot.

From The Wall Street Journal

It looked as if the city wouldn’t be able to honor its favorite son.

From The Wall Street Journal

The dashing former helicopter pilot was widely considered his mother’s favorite son and courtiers said Queen Elizabeth II didn’t want to take steps to fully humiliate him.

From The Wall Street Journal

The former helicopter pilot was feted as a hero during the Falklands War, and was widely regarded as Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite son.

From The Wall Street Journal

Have warm feelings toward Copenhagen’s favorite son, Hans Christian Andersen, and his little tales about lovelorn mermaids and ugly ducklings?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• applicant
• aspirant
• bidder
• competitor
• contender
• contestant
• nominee
• successor