Hostess With The Mostess Origin
Perle Reid Mesta (born Pearl Skirvin; October 12, 1882 - March 16, 1975) was an American socialite, political hostess, and United States ambassador to Luxembourg (1949-53). Mesta was known for her lavish parties for Washington, D.C., society. Attendees included artists, entertainers and many national political figures.
She was the inspiration for Irving Berlin 's musical Call Me Madam. Definition of hostess with the mostest in the Idioms Dictionary. hostess with the mostest phrase.
What does hostess with the mostest expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. The meaning of MOSTEST is -used in place of most (as in imitation of childlike speech). How to use mostest in a sentence.
Elsa Maxwell reigned as America's top party-giver in the mid-Twentieth Century. Labeled "The Hostess with the Mostest" by the press, her rise to command the ballrooms of New York, Vienna and London took her worlds away from her humble Iowa beginnings. Elsa was Born in Keokuk, Iowa, in 1883, but moved to California as a small child.
Oklahoma City Native Perle Mesta, who inspired the phrase "hostess with the mostest," reigned over Washington, D.C.'s social elite for more than three decades. Moreover, what does hostess with the mostest mean? most successful, lavish, and well-connected party-giving woman [more below] Explanation: Hostess with the mostest, the. noun phrase.
The most successful, lavish, and well-connected party-giving woman. [Subsequently, question is, where does the phrase hostess with the mostest come from? The OED2 lists a quotation "hostess with the mostest" under mostest, dialectal and jocular.
The citation is from the Daily Herald, 25 March 1958. Generally attributed to Jimmy Durante, an American entertainer, describing a well known hostess of large party's of the time, Perle Mesta. This would have been in the 1940's.
Simple explanation is that Perle Mesta hosted the best parties to which all. The term "hostess with the mostest" originated in American English during the mid-20th century, likely popularized in theatrical and musical contexts. The phrase plays on the contrast between "hostess," denoting a female host, and "mostest," which is a playful extension of "most," emphasizing excellence and abundance comparable.
English Noun hostess with the mostest (plural hostesses with the mostest) (slang, humorous) An exceptional hostess.