bright young thing

bright young thing

A young person who is exuberant, ambitious, and glamorous. A: "Daisy is a bright young thing, isn't she?" B: "I know! I wish I had an ounce of her verve and style."
See also: bright, thing, young
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

bright young thing

a wealthy, pleasure-loving, and fashionable young person.
The term was originally applied in the 1920s to a member of a young fashionable group of people noted for their exuberant and outrageous behaviour.
See also: bright, thing, young
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

bright young thing

An attractive, frivolous young woman. This term may have been coined by British novelist Barbara Cartland to describe the flappers of the 1920s Jazz Age and their hedonistic life style. It is heard less often in America.
See also: bright, thing, young
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • an old head on young shoulders
  • spring chicken
  • sweet young thing
  • good die young
  • only the good die young
  • cut (one's) teeth in (something)
  • cut your teeth on something
  • young blood
  • young
  • young once
References in periodicals archive
Bright Young Things is based on the classic Evelyn Waugh novel Vile Bodies which Fry admits is one of his favourite books.
To portray his Bright Young Things Fry deliberately chose a cast of relative unknowns,including Stephen Campbell Moore,Fenella Woolgar and James McAvoy.
A hub for both Media and Internet City's bright young things, Q6's international cuisine (with more than a splash of French influence) caters to those who enjoy their lunches quick, simple and delicious and their breakfasts 'avocado-y'.
Ape and the meaning of Waugh's representation of normative gender ideology, this paper pays attention to the ways in which he depicts the voice of the norm of manliness that encircles the unruly world of the Bright Young Things in Vile Bodies.
"The launch party also includes the group's annual young slimmer of the year competition, which praises and recognises Slimming World's bright young things - those inspiring members aged 16 to 21 who've developed healthy habits that they can take into adulthood to help them stay slim for life."
Duckett might have hoped to be one of the bright young things making a play for Alastair Cook's role in four years but has been slung to the bottom of the pack.
Managers should be given three or four opportunities in the game and after that they should only become directors of football or mentors, so the bright young things can get their chance.
Our heroes are bright young things and can easily show the grown-ups a thing or two about good detective work.
He's hanging about with bright young things while investigating them.
Frances Payne, Project Manager at Clothes Show Live and Producer for the Bright Young Things campaign, said; "The Clothes Show Live Creative Awards programme provides up-and-coming talent with a unique platform to showcase their work with the opportunity to be recognised by leading fashion industry professionals."
TOM Hughes may look a little too fresh-faced to be involved in the shadowy world populated by MI5 and KGB agents, but, then again, Spooks was full of bright young things, too, wasn't it?
As a freshman, he is poorly versed in the social etiquettes of his new home but charismatic campus mate Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan) takes Ginsberg under his wing and introduces the newcomer to inner sanctums where other bright young things including Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston) and William S Burroughs (Ben Foster) intellectually spar with one another.
But in recent years the influx of bright young things like Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood have helped style up the genre's image.
Romelu Lukaku insists Belgium's bright young things have the world at their feet after booking their place in Brazil.
THE region's bright young things will be given a chance to shine this autumn, when a new networking club with a twist launches on the North East business scene.