Idiom
Big cheese
The big cheese is the most important or powerful person in a group or organization, such as the boss.
How people use it
People use it in a joking or slightly mocking way: The big cheese from the head office is visiting on Friday. It is informal and often playful, and it can also suggest that someone thinks they are more important than they are. It usually comes with the. Similar phrases include big shot, top dog and head honcho. It is less common today than it was in the mid-1900s, but most people still understand it.
Examples
- Everyone tidied their desks because the big cheese was touring the office.
- Ana joked that being class president made her the big cheese of the eighth grade.
- If you want the budget approved, you'll have to talk to the big cheese.
Where it comes from
The origin is not certain. One likely explanation points to the cheese in British slang of the 1800s, meaning the best or right thing, which may come from chiz, a Persian and Hindi word for thing, picked up in British India. Big cheese meaning an important person appears in American English in the early 1900s. Links to giant show cheeses are only guesses.
Check yourself
1. Who is the big cheese at a company?
Answer: The most important person, such as the boss. The big cheese is the person with the most power or importance.
2. What tone does the big cheese usually have?
Answer: Playful or slightly mocking. It is an informal, joking way to talk about someone important.
Word game fan? See every word hiding in CHEESE.