fin
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(one's) finest hour
The moment or time of one's greatest success or achievement. The team's come-from-behind victory in the semi-finals proved to be their finest hour. Even though Stella was sick with the flu, she still managed to give an impassioned speech that saved the old library from demolition. It was truly her finest hour. Grandpa says that our country's finest hour came while stopping Hitler's advance during World War II.
(one's) Sunday finest
One's very best clothes, as one would wear to a Sunday church service. Instead of some big party, let's all get dressed up in our Sunday finest and go for lunch at a fancy restaurant for my birthday! This is going to be a formal event, so please come dressed in your Sunday finest. You can't wear jeans to a place like that! You need to be decked out in your Sunday finest.
(some city's) finest
The police force of a particular city. New York's finest were able to apprehend the thief. I'm confident that LA's finest will be able to find this suspect before he strikes again. I've always been proud to wear the badge of Philadelphia's finest.
See also: fin
fin de siècle
Occurring at the end of a century, especially the 19th century (when traditional values were in a state of upheaval). This French phrase means "end of century." A work like The Importance of Being Earnest can help us to better understand fin de siècle sensibilities. What were the fin de siècle concerns in London, and how did they differ from, say, Paris? Dracula and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two Gothic fin de siècle works.
New York's finest
A police officer, or the police in general, in New York City. Can either be used sincerely or sarcastically. It took nearly four hours before New York's finest showed up after I called in the burglary. This parade is in honor of New York's finest, who risk their lives every day to help keep our city safe.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
your finest hour
the time of your greatest success. 1940 W. S. Churchill Speech to House of Commons Let us therefore brace ourselves to that duty, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Commonwealth and its Empire lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour’.
—'s finest
the police of a specified city. North American informal 2000 Nelson DeMille The Lion's Game As I indicated, I was a homicide detective, one of New York's Finest.
See also: fin
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
fin
and finn (fɪn) n. a five-dollar bill. (Germanic via Yiddish. As in German funf = five.) I gave the old guy a finn, and he nearly passed out.
New York’s finest
n. a New York City police officer. Three of New York’s finest were standing there at my door with my lost dog.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.