pooh-bah

/'pu:'bɑ:/

Học thuật

Thân thiện

The manager acts like a pooh-bah, giving orders to everyone.

Definition

Noun:
- An arrogant or conceited person of importance: A "pooh-bah" is a person who holds a high position and behaves in a self-important, arrogant, or pompous manner. The term is often used humorously or critically.
- A person holding many offices or roles simultaneously: In a more specific sense, a "pooh-bah" can refer to someone who has accumulated many titles or responsibilities, often implying that the person is overly powerful or that the roles are trivial.

Usage Examples

Noun:
- The new manager acted like a real pooh-bah, refusing to listen to anyone else's ideas. (The new manager acted like a real arrogant person of importance.)
- In the small club, he was the pooh-bah, serving as president, treasurer, and event planner all at once. (In the small club, he was the person holding many offices.)

Advanced Usage

As a satirical title: The term originates from the character "the Lord High Everything Else" in Gilbert and Sullivan's 1885 comic opera . It is often used to satirize bureaucracy and self-importance.
- The committee was run by a single pooh-bah who made all the decisions. (The committee was run by a single self-important official.)

Variants and Related Words

Grand Poobah: A humorous, intensified variant of "pooh-bah," often used informally to mock someone's self-importance.
- He appointed himself the Grand Poobah of the annual barbecue. (He appointed himself the supreme, self-important leader of the annual barbecue.)

Synonyms

Related Idioms & Phrases

Lord High Everything Else: A direct reference to the origin of "pooh-bah," used to describe someone with an absurd number of titles or roles.
- With all those committees, he's become the Lord High Everything Else around here. (With all those committees, he's become the person who does everything.)

The manager acts like a pooh-bah, giving orders to everyone.

Noun

Từ đồng nghĩa