big cheese
Head of everything
Big cheese is informal for an important or influential person, especially one in a position of authority: The big cheese wants to see you in her office.
Often used with gentle mockery or irony, suggesting the person takes their own importance seriously.
The phrase likely comes from the slang use of cheese to mean something first-rate.
Dominant industrial leader
- magnateWealthy business leader
- baronLow-ranking peer
- kingpinCriminal organization's leader
- oligarchMember of small ruling class
czar · titan · heavyweight · powerbroker · captain of industry · fat cat · mover and shaker · top dog
One who directs others
- supervisorOne who directs workers
- directorOne who leads
- executiveSenior organizational leader
- chiefTop-ranking leader
employer · foreman · superintendent · overseer · gaffer · head · principal · taskmaster
Authoritative instruction given
- controlAuthority to direct
- cloutInformal power or punch
- pullForce toward oneself
- swayRock back and forth
influence · leverage · dominance · jurisdiction · decision-maker · shot-caller · string-puller · gatekeeper
Controlled performing figure
- ceremonial leaderSymbolic authority without power
- titular headLeader lacking actual authority
- frontmanLead performer of group
- mouthpieceOne who speaks officially
spokesperson · rubber stamp · proxy · stand-in · mascot · empty suit · window dressing
tycoon
Dominant industrial leader
oligarch · czar · titan · heavyweight · powerbroker · captain of industry · fat cat · mover and shaker · top dog · head honcho
manager
One who directs others
- supervisorOne who directs workers
- directorOne who leads
- executiveSenior organizational leader
chief · employer · foreman · superintendent · overseer · gaffer · head · principal · taskmaster · superior
command
Authoritative instruction given
sway · influence · leverage · dominance · jurisdiction · decision-maker · shot-caller · string-puller · gatekeeper · kingmaker
puppet
Controlled performing figure
- ceremonial leaderSymbolic authority without power
- titular headLeader lacking actual authority
- frontmanLead performer of group
mouthpiece · spokesperson · rubber stamp · proxy · stand-in · mascot · empty suit · window dressing
- bossesboss, bossman, manager, supervisor, foreman
- dominancedominance, dominant, supremacy, superiority, ascendancy
- food idiomspiece of cake, bread winner, low-hanging fruit, cool as a cucumber, bad egg
- reputationreputation, reputable, bad reputation, repute, disreputable
- powerauthority, electric power, nuclear power, solar power, wind power
- centres of attentioncelebrities, stars, headliners, main attraction, star attraction