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Little Lord Fauntleroy

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Little Lord Fauntleroy

An effete and spoiled goody-two-shoes young man. The youngster was the title character of the 19th-century novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. He lived in New York City with his mother, the daughter of a British lord who had eloped to the States against the wishes of her father. Summoned to England, the lad wins over his grandfather's cold heart through his innate goodness and good sense and becomes heir to the title. Although the title character was not at all spoiled or sissified, his hairstyle and clothing certainly gave that impression. That's why generations of privileged actual or supposed effete spoiled brats were taunted by sneers of “Look—here comes Little Lord Fauntleroy!”

See also: little, lord