blue ribbon
16
3.1
- noun
- /blu ˈrɪbən/
- I never won a single blue ribbon until the day Jack showed up drunk at spring recital and played "One O'clock Jump" instead of "Clare de Lune".
- won a blue ribbon
- got the blue ribbon
- took the blue ribbon
Examples
-
MY MOTHER'S WON THE BLUE RIBBON FOR WATERCOLORS AT THE STATE FAIR SO MANY TIMES THEY'VE RETIRED THE CATEGORY.
-
Fair is the place that smells like manure where, if you're really lucky, you win a blue ribbon for your homemade pickles.
Fiction book (2000) -
A blue ribbon winner should have a good horse.
-
"You know, I once won a blue ribbon for my chicken," she said.
Fiction book (2001) -
I got a blue ribbon for my entry, so I'm pretty sure I should know.
-
She won a blue ribbon.
-
Blue ribbons are for winners.
-
You want to take home that blue ribbon, girl, I'm going to show you off at the rodeo.
-
I ran the relays and the 100 and the 200, and I got four blue ribbons and a trophy.
Fiction book (1997) -
She proudly displayed the blue ribbon she won at the county fair for her award-winning pie.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A prize given to someone for achievement or excellence
68
1.0
A strip of cloth given as an award for winning a competition
6
2.9
Official recognition given for important achievements or contributions
5
4.1
A medal or ribbon given to honor someone's achievement
How Prestigious
16
3.1
5
2.2
3
2.9
- US
14
3.8
226
2.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun combines 'ribbon' (a strip of fabric given as a prize) with 'blue' (a color), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer it denotes a ribbon used as an award. While the precise rank associated with the blue color can vary by culture, the basic idea of a colored ribbon as a prize is directly compositional and accessible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Blue ribbon comes from fairs and contests where the winner was given a real blue ribbon to wear or pin on their prize. So, seeing a blue ribbon came to mean 'first place' or the 'best', and today the term means the highest award or top quality.