organ

organ grinder's monkey

One who acts for or does the bidding of someone much more powerful. Following the announcement, many are accusing the prime minister of being an organ grinder's monkey for the US president. Don't hurl abuse at these companies' PR representatives; they're just the organ grinders' monkeys, after all.
See also: monkey, organ
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

the organ grinder's monkey

BRITISH
If you call someone the organ grinder's monkey, you mean that they are doing what a powerful person wants them to do, but have no real power themselves. He's the organ grinder's monkey, his only role in life to get money for his boss. Note: People use the terms organ grinder and monkey in many different structures to mean the powerful person and the person who does what they want. Why bother with monkeys when you can deal with the organ grinder? Some will say that I focus too much attention on the monkey, whilst allowing the organ grinder to get off free. Note: This expression is often used to show a lack of respect for both of the people you are talking about, but especially for the `monkey'. Note: In former times, organ grinders were street entertainers who played barrel organs. Sometimes they had a monkey that performed to the music.
See also: monkey, organ
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
See also:
  • organ grinder's monkey
  • the organ grinder's monkey
  • the pot is calling the kettle black
  • pot is calling the kettle black
  • blood will have blood
  • canary
  • canary in a coal mine
  • miner's canary
  • carry (someone's) water
  • carry water
References in periodicals archive
"Until very recently," they add, "a traditional pipe organ was the only truly satisfactory option -- all attempts at substituting with electronic instruments resulted in a second-best imitation.
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The team called the organ as nociceptive glio-neural complex.
Scientists Discover New Organ Under The Skin
"On an average, half a million people are dying for the want of organs every year as there is an extreme shortage of organ donation to the patients when they are declared end-stage organ failure," Dr H.
Organ Donation: In India less than one per million population donate, lowest globally
'Organ donation is an area that has seen amazing medical achievements but has not yet reached its full life-saving and life-transforming potential.' - Dr Sue Robertson
Comfortable with donating organs after death?
A MAJOR fundraising drive is under way to bring the organ at a church back to its former glory.
Key works will give abbey organ new life
Summary: Artificial organ is an engineered device or tissue that is implanted into the human body.
Artificial Organs Market Assessment & Growth Forecast Examined During 2018-2028
CATHERINE W GICHUKI DOHA THE number of potential organ donors in Qatar is increasing day by day, thanks to the awareness campaigns being carried out, said Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) Organ Donation Campaign Director Dr Asma al Abdulghani.
'Organ donation campaigns paying off'
Years ago I filmed a documentary in Singapore where the number of organ donations was higher than anywhere else in the world, and the difficulty in procuring transplant organs had evaporated.
Opt-out cures organ donation shortages; DR MIRIAM STOPPARD; Helping to keep you fit and healthy
Years ago I filmed a A-documentary in Singapore where the number of organ A-donations was higher than anywhere else in the world, and the difficulty in procuring transplant A-organs had evaporated.
Dr Miriam Stoppard: Daily Mirror-backed opt-out cures organ donation shortages; The change in rules could save up to 700 lives by increasing the number of organs available
Considering the low awareness of the significance of cadaver organ donation in Pakistan, it is admirable that the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services passed a bill yesterday that will pave the way for people to donate organs and save precious human lives.
Cadaver organ donation
The organ transplant technology is known as the frontier of medicine in the 21st century.
ETHICAL DISPUTES OVER LIVING ORGAN TRANSPLANT AND THE APPLICABLE SOLUTIONS TO THESE DISPUTES IN CHINA/Disputas eticas sobre el trasplante de organos vivos y soluciones aplicables a esta disputas en China/Disputas eticas sobre transplante de orgaos vivos e as solucoes aplicaveis a estas disputas na China
Volunteer hands- CC via Pixabay CAIRO -- 30 September 2018: In an unprecedented move, Egypt's church has allowed post-mortem organ donation.
Egypt's church permits post-mortem organ donation
The Department of Health (DOH) is encouraging families to consider organ donation of their deceased loved ones to help save lives of those who are in need of organ transplantation.
DOH encouraging families to consider organ donation of deceased loved ones