back room boys

backroom boy

Someone who advises a public figure or maintains a professional role that does not garner public attention. Originally used to describe scientists and technicians who worked without public knowledge or recognition in the United Kingdom during World War II. Primarily heard in UK. Although he is a skilled political strategist, he lacks the charm and charisma necessary to run for office himself and, therefore, is likely to stay a backroom boy for the rest of his career. We're not fools—we know that the backroom boys actually have all the power around here.
See also: backroom, boy
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

back room boys

verb
See boys in the back room
See also: back, boy, room
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • backroom
  • backroom boy
  • the back-room boys
  • public eye
  • alert
  • alert the public
  • make public
  • be public property
  • the common weal
  • the public weal
References in periodicals archive
Trainer James Cummings was quick to laud his back room boys for Saturday's stunning victory.
Exhilarates wins prestigious two-year-old Classic
The IT crowd are no longer the back room boys, today's ClOs are the CEO's most vital right hand person.
Britain falls back in love with it: Quantum shift from the back office to influencing organisational strategy
T HE war room had once housed back room boys Ashish Kulkarni, who has now been moved to 99, South Avenue -- another nerve centre of the Congress party that had functioned as the war room when the party was out of power till 2004 -- and Deepak Amin, who now coordinates with the media from the AICC headquarters.
THE CONGRESS NERVE CENTRE
Re-organising the way the back room boys work is not a valid reason.
A change for the better? Will Boro's new kit bring a fresh wave of optimism?
There will be a jazz band performing on Saturday night while on Sunday entertainment will be provided by The Back Room Boys, Three Men in a Boat and friends.
Fundraiser for firefighters
As to which party is in so-called power, the back room boys of the council always remain.
Vent your spleen
Labour's back room boys may be wishing by now they had tipped off E-Commerce Minister Mike O'Brien about what they were up to.
Cyber tricks
The back room boys back on Tracy Island were their Dad Jeff and Brains, a genius with what appeared to be the worst NHS glasses and speech impediment this side of Benny Hill's Fred Scuttle.
Get ready for a FAB cinema experience
* The back room boys themselves have an excellent work of reference to remind them of the theory and best practice, although I doubt those with working experience of database management will learn anything totally new.
Optimal database marketing--strategy, development and data mining
Mr X provided the dream and the back room boys made it reality.
Eagle-eyed Harley; Amazing attention to detail and stunning artistry have created one special Harley, finds TREVOR WALLS
However the new back room boys at Celtic have told Stubbs he can go in the close season for pounds 4.5 million, which is pounds 1 million more than the Parkhead club paid Bolton for him three years ago.
Football: ANFIELD READY FOR SWIFT STUBBS SWOOP!
Even so, whatever his anger, he has maintained a diplomatic silence refusing, in public at least, to criticise the back room boys or his trackside team boss and tactics organiser Maurizio Arrivabene, rumoured to be in danger of being sacked.
Vettel out to iron out errors that cost him the title
A variety of live music and theatre will be performed throughout the weekend, including jazz combo Jazz Not Jazz, steel band Ocho Rio, and traditional folk band Back Room Boys.
Design theme at marina's big day
SECURITY guards line every entrance, back room boys buzz by, applying those vital last-minute touches before THEY arrive.
MTV AWARDS: THE BIG DAY: JUSTIN'S ROOM WITH A PHEW
Please, no cheap jibes: this is serious business for the many Anfield back room boys who've lived through 30 years and seen the Blues finish ahead of them only twice.
FOOTBALL: PLAYMAKER IS TARGET NUMBER ONE