Dictionary

muckamuck en · NOUN

Etymology

Borrowed from Chinook Jargon muckamuck (“food”). In the sense of person of authority, it is short for high muckamuck, from Chinook Jargon hayo muckamuck (“plenty to eat, plenty of food; to eat”). See muckety muck. The ultimate source of the word is unclear; it is possible that the term originated within Chinook Jargon itself, rather than being borrowed from another language.

Meanings

1. (colloquial, countable, derogatory, sometimes) A person in a position of power or authority, or of high status.
   • I think it was the Fourth of July when they took the chair from under my ass again. Not a word of warning. One of the big muck-a-mucks from the other side of the water had decided to make economies; […] 1934, Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer, Grove Press, published 1961, page 191:
   • Allen had the wit—God, I love that man when he's at his best—to invite all the new Kennedy muckamucks to an evening with a number of us at the Alibi Club. 1991, Norman Mailer, Harlot's Ghost, Random House, →ISBN, page 915:
   • “Good Heavens! The pictures are moving!” “That's a movie. It's where tweens go to get fingered.” “It's beautiful.” “Yeah. Wish we could go to a movie right now.” “Well, why don't we go?” “Really?” “I assume it's better than listening to this muckamuck.” 2016 June 6, Teresa Hsiao, “Garfield and Friends” (9:32 from the start), in American Dad!, season 13, episode 19, spoken by James A. Garfield (Chris Parnell):
2. (US, dated, dialectal, possibly, uncountable) Food.
   • But old Halascum once, under the mellowing influence of having sold some furs, and seeing the great quantities of muckamuck, or goodly things to eat, which his prize had furnished, was led to tell the mystery […] 1906, The Coast, volumes 11-12, page 160:
   • She apparently has her own way in everything now, the old chief being quite satisfied to get his rations of muckamuck and tobacco without troubling himself as to how it is provided. 1884, Newton H. Chittenden, Official report of the exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands, page 69:

Forms

Synonyms

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