The “blue-eyed boy” is the employee who receives preferential treatment from the boss, often due to good looks and charm. The term may have roots in racial prejudice or a father’s preference for a child with similar physical features. The idiom is more commonly used in the British Commonwealth, while in North America, “blond boy” is used instead.
Everyone knows who the boss’s blue-eyed boy is. Male or female, this is the employee who is chosen for plum projects, given a promotion and pay raise over more qualified employees, and adorned with accolades and awards. In short, she’s the person the boss adores and no one else can stand. While there may be nothing inherently hideous about a blue-eyed boy or girl, being the recipient of too much good grace leads others to suggest that a brownnoser might be hiding behind the handsome demeanor.
Blue-eyed boys and girls are found in every walk of life, whether it’s in the classroom or at work, at the club or in the neighborhood. They truly seem to just get lucky, and often, though not always, that luck is enhanced by good looks, a refined build, and a fashion sense that makes everyone else look a bit like chopped liver. Of course, there are plenty of blue-eyed boys and girls whose eyes are really gray or brown or black, but they still attract the green-eyed, jealous stares of their coworkers, friends, and family members who are smitten with their favorite blue-eyed status. nation.
It is easy to find a connection between this idiom and another common one. While it may be true that a blond boy, like a blue-eyed boy, can’t be wrong, putting the two physical attributes side-by-side suddenly drives home a not-so-subtle hint of racial prejudice. It is entirely possible that these roundabouts come from an era in which preferential treatment was reserved for employees and acquaintances of more obviously northern European origin. The word fair in this second idiom has no connection with the idea of fairness or justice. Rather, it stands for light, golden, or blonde hair.
Another possible explanation for these idioms has been suggested. Coined in an era long before DNA testing could identify paternity, a father with blond hair and blue eyes may be more inclined to think that a boy with blond hair and blue eyes was more likely to be his of a child with darker hair and eyes. Research indicates that while the expression ‘a blue-eyed boy’ is more commonly used in the British Commonwealth, it is largely replaced by the idiom of his brother, ‘a blond boy’ from across the pond. England and the North American continent are not as racially homogeneous as the Nordic regions, but there is no doubt that, historically, individuals who clearly fall into the blond category have had the most fun, overall.
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