favorite son

favorite son

A well-known man, especially a politician, who is supported and celebrated by people in his hometown. Ray was the favorite son of his hometown of Twin Falls, Idaho.
See also: favorite, son
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

favorite son

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]
See also: favorite, son
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

favourite son

a famous man who is particularly popular and praised for his achievements in his native area.
In the USA, the term is used specifically of a person supported as a presidential candidate by delegates from the candidate's home state.
See also: favourite, son
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

somebody’s favourite ˈson

a performer, politician, sports player, etc., who is popular where they were born: Everyone in the town was proud and excited to see their favourite son nominated for an Oscar.
See also: favourite, son
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • favourite son
  • somebody's favourite son
  • favorite
  • favorite daughter
  • favourite
  • HTH
  • show the flag
  • wave the flag
  • have never looked back
  • fly/show/wave the flag
References in periodicals archive
The Literary Guild has decided to offer Favorite Son as a selection to its members.
The author of Favorite Son is himself an industry of sorts.
Rochester, MN's favorite son, Dallas Rockvam, earned his wings and will be joining the rest of the Brigadiers over at Powell in time for their upcoming Fun/vid, smiling shiners and all.
Released in the 250th anniversary year of Robert Burns, Scotland's favorite son born in 1759, the Isle of Arran Distillers created this blended Scotch that has a medium finish touched with spice and a toffee, fig, and dry oak and vanilla palate.
Late last month, we were trying to track down a favorite son of Arkansas: Levon Helm, famed musicmaker and legendary singer/drummer for The Band.
Columbia, S.C., Mayor Bob Coble presented the "Comedy Central" hero a key to the city, declared him South Carolina's "favorite son" and officially proclaimed it Stephen Colbert day.
The "Lone Star State" may be getting a boost in the form of 1,000 favorite Sons over the next few years.
was the descendant of two of Skull and Bones' favorite sons" -- his father, George H.W.
One of Basel's favorite sons, Arnold Bocklin (1827-1901) is up for a second survey in his hometown.
She asks, indignantly, in her own bestseller, The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women, "How would America react to the mess of self-immolation by hunger of its favorite sons?" Pushing her rhetoric a bit further, she finds the phenomenon of male-initiated anorexia comparable with the Holocaust: "When confronted with a vast number of emaciated bodies starved not by nature but by men, one must notice a certain resemblance."
The real estate industry is mourning another of its favorite sons, Jack Weprin: lawyer, owner, gambler, teaser, philanthropist, restaurateur and raconteur, who died Sunday morning, March 10th from a heart attack.
Brazile, a senior Democratic strategist and Gore's former campaign manager, urged African American leaders to run as favorite sons and daughters in their states to potentially lock up the black vote.
Brazile best known as campaign manager for former Vice President Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign, is urging African American leaders to run as favorite sons and darters in various states' presidential primaries to lock up as many delegate votes as possible before the Democratic Party convention assembles in Boston to pick nominees.
Though unconfirmed, some of the possible favorite sons could include ex-Denver mayor Wellington Webb, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, U.S.
"Favorite Sons" is a novel from Robin Yocum as he tells the story of a group of friends in their late teens.