creme de la creme

I

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) (VOCABULARY WORD) n.

[KREM deh la KREM]

literally, cream of the cream; the best of the best. Also, people of high society.

The benefit dinner attrracted the creme de la creme of Washington society.

SYN.: best of the best, cream of the crop, the best and brightest, the finest, the elite, pick of the litter, upper class, *upper crust, aristocracy.

ANT.: the dregs, refuse

II

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. The superlative or most preferable part of something: best, choice, cream, elite, flower, pick, prize1, top. Idioms: cream of the crop, flower of the flock, pick of the bunch (or crop). See BETTER. 2. People of the highest social level: aristocracy, blue blood, elite, flower, gentility, gentry, nobility, patriciate, quality, society, upper class, who's who. Informal: upper crust. See OVER.