Dictionary

big cheese en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From big + cheese (“wealth, fame, importance”). Earliest use to mean importance from 1910.

Meanings

1. (dated, idiomatic) A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.
   • I know. But it's his ship now, his command; he's in charge, he's the boss, the head man, the top dog, the big cheese, the head honcho, number one... 1980, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Airplane!, spoken by Rex Kramer (Robert Stack):
   • He’ll be meeting with the big cheese first thing tomorrow, to present his proposal.
   • If not for all these bills and taxes, our income would more than suffice. I feel like a real big cheese, until everybody takes a slice! 1995, “Where The Money Goes”, in Rich Mendoza (music), Money Rock, performed by Schoolhouse Rock!/Jack Sheldon:

Forms

Deriveds

grand fromage

Synonyms

king of all one surveys · kingpin · high muckety-muck · top dog · muckamuck · rooster · king of the castle · heavyweight · big man · baron · bigwig · boss · head honcho · high muckamuck · top boy · big shot · very important person · grand poobah · king of the hill · big gun · wheel · big noise · mugwump · big enchilada · macher · panjandrum · big name · big wheel · big cheese · top banana · big kahuna · VIP · top cat · numero uno · somebody · muckety muck · poobah · heavy hitter · mayor · top gun

Translations (73)

ru ши́шка (very important figure) · uk ва́жна пти́ця (very important figure) · cs frajer (very important figure) · uk ця́ця (very important figure) · pl szycha (very important figure) · hu nagykutya (very important figure) · es última chupada del mango (very important figure) · pl gruba ryba (very important figure) · fr grand chef (very important figure) · ru большо́й нача́льник (very important figure) · it pezzo da novanta (very important figure) · cs borec (very important figure) · it papavero (very important figure) · lb déckt Déier (very important figure) · de Bonze (very important figure) · uk ши́шка (very important figure) · es gerifalte (very important figure) · ga boc mór (very important figure) · cmn 龍頭老大 /龙头老大 (very important figure) · tl malaking tao (very important figure) · de dicker Fisch (very important figure) · scn pezza novante (very important figure) · nl bovenbaas (very important figure) · fr big boss (very important figure) · pt figurão (very important figure) · hu fejes (very important figure) · cmn 權勢之人 /权势之人 (very important figure) · it pezzonovante (very important figure) · uk вели́ка ця́ця (very important figure) · ru ва́жная ши́шка (very important figure) · it capo (very important figure) · it notabile (very important figure) · sv höjdare (very important figure) · pl rekin (very important figure) · ru больша́я ши́шка (very important figure) · cmn 頭面人物 /头面人物 (very important figure) · cmn 大腕兒 /大腕儿 (very important figure) · sv pamp (very important figure) · cs machr (very important figure) · es pez gordo (very important figure) · fi iso kiho (very important figure) · cy pwysigyn (very important figure) · fr grosse légume (very important figure) · es alto cargo (very important figure) · fr gros bonnet (very important figure) · it VIP (very important figure) · cs frajer (very important figure) · it big (very important figure) · cs velké zvíře (very important figure) · pt bambambã (very important figure) · ru ва́жная пти́ца (very important figure) · it capoccia (very important figure) · nl hoge piet (very important figure) · ru ва́жная персо́на (very important figure) · es cerote gordo (very important figure) · it pezzo grosso (very important figure) · ja 要人 (very important figure) · fr huile (very important figure) · cmn 要人 (very important figure) · cmn 大人物 (very important figure) · it barbassoro (very important figure) · uk ва́жний птах (very important figure) · uk важли́ва пти́ця (very important figure) · uk цабе́ (very important figure) · ja 巨擘 (very important figure) · uk важли́вий птах (very important figure) · ja 大物 (very important figure) · fr bonze (very important figure) · de hohes Tier (very important figure) · cs bourák (very important figure) · cs hlavoun (very important figure) · hu főmufti (very important figure) · nl bobo (very important figure)

wikipedia: O. Henry