Cream of the crop?_其他_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Cream of the crop?

Crop, of course, refers to the all the harvests of one year. And so, if they say you’re the cream of the crop or, in fact, the cream of anything (the group, the profession, the industry, the next generation, the camp, county, country or continent), or simply the cream, they’re merely saying you’re the very best (perhaps not merely, but my point is, don’t read too much into it – no need to take other people’s compliments too seriously).

Or, in other words, you’re the top.

As Ella Fitzgerald sings Cole Porter:

You’re the top! You’re the Collosseum,

You’re the top! You’re the Louvre Museum,

You’re the melody from a symphony by Strauss,

You’re a Bendel bonnet,

A Shakespeare Sonnet,

You’re Mickey Mouse!

You’re the Nile! You’re the Tow’r of Pisa,

You’re the smile, on the Mona Lisa!

I’m a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop!

But if baby I’m the bottom,

You’re the top!

Full stop.

About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.