/ ˌsɪndəˈrelə; NAmE / noun
[ usually sing. ] a person or thing that has been ignored and deserves to receive more attention :
For years radio has been the Cinderella of the media world.
ORIGIN: From the European fairy tale about a beautiful girl, Cinderella , who was treated in a cruel way by her two ugly sisters. She had to do all the work and received no reward or thanks until she met and married Prince Charming.
For more information see the Cultural Guide
••
WORD ORIGIN
from cinder + the diminutive suffix -ella , on the pattern of French Cendrillon , from cendre cinders.