The last come is the best liked.
The last come is the best liked.
Meaning in plain English
A newcomer may receive especially warm attention because their arrival is fresh. Notice the effect of novelty without assuming older relationships have become less valuable.
Example
A volunteer group welcomes a new member warmly while continuing to include the regulars who have supported it for years.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The latest arrival becomes the favourite in the speaker’s comparison. Newness can attract curiosity and enthusiasm before people have had much experience of one another. A useful reading asks whether current attention reflects a lasting connection or the excitement of something unfamiliar. Welcome newcomers without forgetting established members or making them compete for belonging. The saying describes a possible shift in preference; it does not prove that the newest person is better, or that every group inevitably abandons its older attachments.
When to use it
Use it to notice how novelty changes attention within a group.
Keep in mind
A genuine new friendship need not be superficial, and welcoming someone does not require excluding anyone else.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 32; French section, paragraph 629; source wording: Le dernier venu le mieux aimé.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗