panjandrum
/pən'dgændrəm/
Definition
Noun: 1. An important or influential (and often overbearing) person: A pompous, self-important official or person in a position of authority, often used mockingly or sarcastically to highlight their pretentiousness.
Examples of Usage
Advanced Usage
- "Grand Panjandrum": This is the most common and emphatic form of the word. It intensifies the sense of mockery and self-importance.
- He fancied himself the Grand Panjandrum of the entire department, though few took him seriously.
Variants and Related Words
- Grand Panjandrum (noun phrase): An even more pompous or self-important person; the ultimate or archetypal panjandrum.
Synonyms
- Pooh-bah: A person holding many offices or positions, often with a sense of self-importance.
- Grandee: A high-ranking or important person, especially in Spanish or Portuguese nobility, but used in English to denote any important person.
- Dignitary: A person considered important because of high rank or office (less mocking than ).
- Mogul: An important or powerful person, especially in business or industry.
- Bigwig (informal): An important person.
Notes on Meaning and Usage
- Tone: The word panjandrum is almost always used with a critical, ironic, or humorous tone. It is not a neutral term for a leader.
- Origin: The word originates from a nonsense phrase in a 18th-century piece of writing by Samuel Foote, created to test an actor's memory: "...and there were present the Picninnies, and the Joblillies, and the Garyulies, and the Grand Panjandrum himself..." Its modern meaning evolved from this mock-important title.
Noun
-
an important or influential (and often overbearing) person
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
