captain of industry

captain of industry

A wealthy and powerful person in the business world. Her family will never accept an unemployed artist like me—they expect her to marry a captain of industry. Do you want to come to the gala with me and hob-nob with some captains of industry?
See also: captain, industry, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

captain of industry

Fig. a high-ranking corporation officer; a wealthy and successful capitalist. The captains of industry manage to hang on to their money no matter what. It's fun to see those captains of industry drive up in their limousines.
See also: captain, industry, of
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

a captain of ˈindustry

a person who manages a large industrial company: He later moved to Seattle, where he became a well-known figure and captain of industry.
See also: captain, industry, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • a captain of industry
  • industry
  • motive
  • base motive
  • be born with a silver spoon in (one's) mouth
  • be born with a silver spoon in your mouth
  • born with a silver spoon in (one's) mouth
  • born with a silver spoon
  • marry beneath (one's) station
  • marry beneath (oneself)
References in classic literature
'If you've the sort of mind that would forget Jones I doubt if ever you'll be a captain of industry.'
Uneasy Money
Any one of them knows far more about sociology and all the other ologies than the average captain of industry. Yes, I have been to half a dozen of their meetings, but that doesn't make me a socialist any more than hearing Charley Hapgood orate made me a Republican."
Martin Eden
A damned blood-sucking blackmailer was that simple, strenuous, self-made captain of industry. He had secrets against nearly everybody; one against poor old Westmoreland about an early marriage in Cyprus that might have put the duchess in a queer position; and one against Harker about some flutter with his client's money when he was a young solicitor.
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Ineos tycoon Jim Ratcliffe has so far displayed attitudes to employment more in common with a Victorian mill owner than a progressive captain of industry.
Heading in here Whole nation was held to ransomto go over 2 dex; RECORD VIEW
With an astute understanding of the British male psyche and an acumen that should be the envy of many a captain of industry, she has utilised her primary asset, her body, as a business tool and earned a fortune as she did so.
Katie Price is inspirational
A former captain of industry has called on business leaders to put in extra hours to cope with the demands of the recession.
Call for leaders to put in the hours
"One captain of industry, who I won't name, spent all night pressing the buttons," declares Rocking Bob, a self-confessed fan of the Rolling Stones and Miles Davis.
Golden days of rock 'n' Bob
Now, I am no captain of industry, neither am I an economist, but I do know enough to state that in order to survive in today's world, one needs to keep an eye on the horizon for emerging trends and prepare accordingly.
Letter: Yousay: Jobs failure
The man whose life began in a humble cottage in Brentford, London, was to become a great captain of industry.
Lord King: The man who saved BA
A NUNEATON graduate has been hailed by the government as a future captain of industry.
Mark a prospect to watch
No fussy monogrammed shirt, no sparkling ingot cufflinks, no Italian loafers--none of the trappings that would signify his Captain of Industry station are apparent when Ghosn introduces Nissan Motor Co.'s new Altima sedan at New York's International Auto Show.
Nissan's U-Turn to profits: Carlos Ghosn is behind the wheel, leading the comeback of a chronically struggling automaker. (Corporate Turnaround)
It was probably partly a pose, because although Oliver Smith looked like a captain of industry or a prince of state ordered up from a meticulous Central Casting, he was, in fact, merely theatrical.
Oliver: a Smith of Smiths
I have met no captain of industry who's made my blood surge.
Our Wildest Dreams: Women Entrepreneurs Making Money, Having Fun, Doing Good
The recognized "captain of industry," about to break into the Fortune 500, was miserable!
Fifteen fatal failures for an executive
Dodsworth, a captain of industry from Babbitt's metropolis of Zenith, is persuaded by his frivolous wife Fran to make a tour of Europe.
Dodsworth (1929)