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

From an egoistic standpoint of the territory in question, favorite tax treatment of multinationals creates income for the local government and creates much-needed work.

From Forbes • Nov. 6, 2014

Give the good stuff to your favorite tax professional out of the kindness of your heart.

From Forbes • Nov. 3, 2014

People often cite jobs in trying to keep their favorite tax breaks.

From New York Times • Jan. 3, 2012

The tax reformers also take aim at the favorite tax shelters of the rich, treating them like so many shooting-gallery ducks.

From Time Magazine Archive

The favorite tax shelters, however, remain traditional real estate ventures and oil and gas exploration.

From Time Magazine Archive

Related Words

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