born-and-bred
UK[ˌbɔːn ən ˈbred]US[ˌbɔːrn ən ˈbred]
adj
Used to emphasize that someone has lived in a particular place or had a particular way of life since birth.
Etymology
The phrase 'born and bred' is a classic English alliterative idiom, solidifying in the language by the 16th century. It combines 'born', from the Old English 'boren' (past participle of 'beran', meaning to bear, carry, bring forth), with 'bred', from the Old English 'bredan' (to nourish, rear, bring up). The logic is deeply sequential and comprehensive: the first element denotes origin at birth, while the second emphasizes the formative upbringing and education received thereafter. Together, they create a powerful, holistic descriptor for native identity, suggesting that a person's essential character is fundamentally shaped by the environment of their origin.
Analysis
This is a fixed idiomatic compound formed from the past participles of two common Germanic verbs.
Examples
She is a born-and-bred New Yorker, knowing the city inside out.
He was a born-and-bred farmer, with a deep connection to the land.
Despite living abroad for years, she remained a born-and-bred Londoner at heart.