toast of the town

toast of the town (plural toasts of the town)

1. (idiomatic, dated) A person, male or female, who is admired and very popular in local society, and who is sought after to attend parties, public events, etc.
   • c. 1780, Robert Burns, "Mary Morison":

     I sat, but neither heard nor saw:

     Tho' this was fair, and that was braw,

     And yon the toast of a' the town,

     I sigh'd, and said among them a',

     "Ye are na Mary Morison."

   • 1898 Nov. 25, "A Woman's Unique Revenge‎," Atlanta Constitution, p. 4:

     Miss Moore was the toast of the town, and numerous were the advantageous opportunities of matrimony of which she was the recipient.

   • 1928 May 20, O. O. McIntyre, "Giving Things the "O. O." With McIntyre," Miami News, p. 8 (retrieved 29 Aug. 2011):

     Miss Dorothy Parker seems to be the newest literary toast of the town.

   • 1945 Sep. 28, Allen V. Dowling, "Detroit Needs Just One More," Warsaw Daily Union (USA), p. 5 (retrieved 29 Aug. 2011):

     Newhouser was the toast of the town for his masterful, 11 to 0 shutout in which he struck out 10 batters.

• Popularized in North America in the 1950s as an alternative name of The Ed Sullivan Show television program.

• local hero
• man of the hour / woman of the hour / person of the hour

• talk of the town

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