to show who's boss
- idiom
- Informal
:
demostrar quién manda
- He used the new rules to show who's boss in the office and set clearer expectations.
Examples
-
They need to show who's boss!
-
During the meeting, she decided to show who's boss by taking charge of the discussion.
-
And fourth, it showed who's boss -- Merkel.
Blog text (4) -
When the team failed to follow instructions, the manager felt it was time to show who's boss.
Synonyms
58
4.1
To be in charge of an activity or group
48
3.1
To tell other people what to do in a rude way
48
3.7
To rise above a place and be clearly visible from around it
37
4.5
Tell people what to do in a rude way when you have no right
8
7.5
To treat other people as if you are better than them
6
8.2
Act as if you are better than other people
Behave as if others are less important
Antonyms
How Dominant
37
5.5
275
3.7
- Informal
98
3.5
6
6.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly composed from 'show' (demonstrate) and 'who's boss' (who is in charge), so the phrase literally means to demonstrate who is the authority. This compositional pattern is common across languages and follows standard English syntax, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
The verb show who's boss comes from a simple image: someone stepping forward, speaking loudly, or giving orders so everyone can see who is the boss. So, to show someone 'who is in charge' means to make it clear you are the leader.