the great and the good
1
7.5
- idiom
- Literature
:
los grandes y buenos
- In Britain, or Salem as we now know it, there is a full-scale hue and cry over a dead TV celebrity, knighted and variously honoured, prolific charity worker, hob-nobber with the great and the good.
So we watch the film, the lights come up at the end and all the great and the good from Scotland are there.
- So we watch the film, the lights come up at the end and all the great and the good from Scotland are there.
Examples
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You can pander all you like to the great and the good.
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So we watch the film, the lights come up at the end and all the great and the good from Scotland are there.
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Attendees included the great and the good of the HIV sector.
Blog text (30) -
At seventeen, my son seems to grasp something that has apparently been missed by so many of the great and the good.
Blog text (30) -
My point was that unless something better comes along soon, given the general trend of political ineptitude emanating from the great and the good, events may overtake common sense, and by default, power will devolve to those who defend the rights of the majority or, more accurately, will be perceived to defend those rights; whether they do or not will be beside the point as they ride the discontent to positions of authority.
Blog text (10) -
The charity event was attended by the great and the good of the business world, showcasing their support for the cause.
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Throughout history, the great and the good have played pivotal roles in shaping public policy and opinion.
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At the ceremony, many of the great and the good gathered to honor the contributions of community leaders.
Synonyms
16
2.5
A person with great power or status who gets special treatment
5
4.1
A person who is well known and admired
Antonyms
How Prominent
∞
3.0
- Literature
1
7.5
258
4.7
50
1.0
5
4.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
the + great + and + the + good
The phrase simply combines 'great' (important/notable) and 'good' (morally respectable) with the definite articles and conjunction to refer collectively to important, respectable people; its meaning is a straightforward compositional reading of the constituents. This pattern (using adjectives to label a social group) is common and should be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the individual words.
Etymology
The great and the good may come from old newspapers and invitations that listed who would attend big events: the people who were great, meaning 'powerful or important', and good, meaning 'respectable'. So, the phrase came to mean 'important and respected people'.