crème de la crème

See also: creme de la creme and Crème de la Crème

English

Alternative forms

creme de la creme

Etymology

Borrowed from French crème de la crème (literally “cream of the cream”).

Pronunciation

Audio (US) (file)
Audio (UK) (file)

Noun

crème de la crème (uncountable)

(idiomatic, singular only) Best of the best; something superlative; the very best.
To be an astronaut you must be the crème de la crème.
- 1961, Muriel Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, page 14:
  ‘Plainly,’ said Miss Brodie, ‘you were not listening to me. If only you small girls would listen to me I would make of you the crème de la crème.’

Synonyms

Translations

best of the best

Danish: creme de la creme c
Dutch: crème de la crème
Finnish: kerma (fi), parhaimmisto (fi)
French: crème de la crème (fr) f, top du top (fr) m, fin du fin (fr) m, fine fleur (fr) f, nec plus ultra (fr) m
German: Crème de la Crème f
Norwegian: crème de la crème, kremen av kremen, der oppe
Polish: śmietanka (pl) f
Portuguese: nata da sociedade f
Spanish: lo mejor de lo mejor, flor y nata (es)
Swedish: gräddan (only in definite form)

French

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kʁɛm də la kʁɛm/
Audio (FR) (file)
Audio (file)

Noun

crème de la crème f (uncountable)

crème de la crème (the best of something)
Synonym: fine fleur

Descendants

→ Danish: creme de la creme, crème de la crème
→ Dutch: crème de la crème
→ English: crème de la crème, creme de la creme
→ German: Crème de la Crème
→ Norwegian: crème de la crème

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