beauty paraden.
/ˈbjuːtɪ pəˌreɪd/, U.S. /ˈbjudi pəˌreɪd/ 1. Originally: a parade of beautiful women; a fashion show. Now chiefly: an event in which competitors (usually women) are judged on attractiveness; = beauty contest n. 1. Also in extended use.
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the mind > attention and judgement > beauty > [noun] > beauty contest
beauty show1856
beauty contest1880
beauty parade1887
beauty pageant1911
pageant1911
1887 County Gentleman 19 Mar. 375/3 I speak not of the pictures on the walls of the galleries... I allude to a possible show of living beauties—of a beauty parade in the galleries on private view day.
1902 Steubenville (Ohio) Herald 11 Apr. (headline) Beauty parade of lovely women at Atlantic City, Easter. Fifty thousand of them in Easter attire paraded the famous boardwalk.
1917 Boston Daily Globe 30 May 8/5 When the beauty parade began there were more than 100 young women in the march. The judges were Hugh McNally, [etc.].
1976 Pop. Sci. May 110/2 Not even runners-up in the beauty parade, but long-time winners for utility and fair price, are the Economy Jim Dandy and Power King tractors.
2005 M. Wykes & B. Gunter Media & Body Image iv. 68 The shifting fashions in body-shape ideal have been researched previously, in relation to the body measurements of beauty parade contestants.
2.
a. Politics (originally and chiefly U.S.). = beauty contest n. 2a.
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1975 Progress (Pennsylvania) 31 Jan. 4/3 This state's Democrats convened here this past weekend, expecting to enjoy the beauty parade of visiting presidential aspirants.
1984 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 2 July a15/1 Despite the beauty parade that is taking place in Minnesota, the choice [of vice-presidential candidates] seems to have narrowed between Gary Hart and one of several women.
2005 Independent 6 Oct. 33/2 The historic Tory conference in Blackpool in 1963 when the gathering similarly became a beauty parade between the leading contenders, Rab Butler, Lord Home, and Lord Hailsham.
2007 N.Y. Sun (Nexis) 26 Dec. (Opinion section) 11 Then came the beauty parade of GOP hopefuls, each trying to sound more conservative than the next.
b. Business. = beauty contest n. 2b.
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1985 Times 24 July 17/6 Neither Throgmorton's managers, Throgmorton Investment Management, nor Murray Johnstone have taken part in the two ‘beauty parades’ that have since been held north of the border for the position.
1997 Housing Agenda Sept. (Finance Suppl.) 1/3 Peabody designed the scheme itself and tendered for a merchant banker to issue the bonds. UBS was chosen from a beauty parade of five firms.
2011 J. Rush Due Diligence i. 9 Then let's cut to the chase. Are you looking for a pitch here? Is this going to be a beauty parade? Who else are you talking to?
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2013; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1887