toast of the town

plural toasts of the town

1. datedidiomaticA person, male or female, who is admired and very popular in local society, and who is sought after to attend parties, public events, etc.

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

   1928 May 20, O. O. McIntyre, “Giving Things the "O. O." With McIntyre”, in Miami News, retrieved 29 Aug 2011, page 8

   3 more examples

   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."

   c. 1780, Robert Burns, Mary Morison

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

   1898 November 25, “A Woman's Unique Revenge”, in Atlanta Constitution, page 4

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

   1945 September 28, Allen V. Dowling, “Detroit Needs Just One More”, in Warsaw Daily Union, USA, retrieved 29 Aug 2011, page 5

   Synonyms: local hero, man of the hour, woman of the hour, person of the hour