panjandrum

/pən'dgændrəm/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
panjandrum

The panjandrum struts through the office as if he owns the place.

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.
panjandrum

The panjandrum struts through the office as if he owns the place.

Noun
  1. an important or influential (and often overbearing) person

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