2006-07-17 23:02:41 · 2 answers · asked by Not Tellin 4 in Games & Recreation ➔ Hobbies & Crafts
"Blue ribbon" is a term used to describe something of high quality, such as a blue-ribbon panel or a blue-ribbon commission. This comes from the practice of awarding blue ribbons for first place in competitions. The Blue Riband was a notional prize conferred since the 1860s to the ship that made the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing. The first ship actually to fly a blue pennant from her masthead upon winning this was the French liner Normandie in 1936.
2006-07-17 23:10:04 · answer #1 · answered by lsuatlargechair 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It comes from the Blue Riband award that has been given for transatlantic crossing records since back when steam ships were new. It may seem a little odd now, but in those days it was glamorous, cutting edge stuff.
Some background: http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364proj/fall_98/stroeh/blu_ribnd.htm
List of winners: http://www.greatships.net/riband.html
At Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Riband (redundant information, but it has some sources for further reading.)
2006-07-18 06:17:59 · answer #2 · answered by c0mbustible 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋