pride and joy, one's

That which fills one with a great sense of pride, pleasure, happiness, or contentment. This car is my father's pride and joy—if we put a single scratch on it, he'll go ballistic! I know it's a bit of a cliché, but my children truly are my pride and joy.

Fig. something or someone that one is very proud of. (Often in reference to a baby, a car, a house, etc. Fixed order.) And this is our little pride and joy, Roger. Fred pulled up in his pride and joy and asked if I wanted a ride.

The object of one's great pleasure, as in Our new grandson is our pride and joy, or Dana's car is his pride and joy. This term was probably invented by Sir Walter Scott in his poem Rokeby (1813), where he described children as "a mother's pride, a father's joy."

A prized possession. This term comes from a poem by Sir Walter Scott, “Rokeby” (1813), in which he described children as “a mother’s pride, a father’s joy.” It was subsequently broadened to include any accomplishment or possession.