big white chief
1
7.9
- noun
- Informal
:
gran jefe
- The new manager was quickly seen as the big white chief by the rest of the staff.
Examples
-
Some employees jokingly referred to the CEO as the big white chief.
-
The big white chief made the final decision.
-
After years of dedication, he finally became the company's big white chief.
-
Why did the big white chief ignore our concerns?
-
The big white chief of the tribe made an important announcement during the ceremony.
-
My boss is considered the big white chief around the office, always making the final decisions.
-
In the meeting, the big white chief introduced new policies that everyone had to follow.
Synonyms
∞
1.9
A person who leads a group or community
22
6.9
An important person with power in a company or group
9
6.3
A person who is in charge of a company or group
1
8.9
An important person in charge who people call jokingly
A joking name for a person who has great power in a group
Antonyms
How Important
- Formal
77
5.5
- Informal
1
7.9
∞
1.6
346
2.8
1
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'big' + 'white' + 'chief' signals a (prominent) white leader, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer a person in authority. Pragmatic or ironic/connotative uses (e.g., colonial or sarcastic undertones) are culturally specific and not fully predictable, but the core denotation is transparent.
Etymology
Big white chief may come from a simple picture of a visiting white man who seemed large or important: big, white, and like the local chief. That image became a friendly or joking way to call someone 'in charge'.