leader

Related to leader: manager

ape leader

obsolete A pejorative term for an older single woman; a spinster or old maid. From an old proverb that women who die unmarried are fated to lead apes—considered at the time to be unproductive animals—in hell. At the risk of being labeled an ape leader by ignorant people, I have chosen a life without marriage, and I am perfectly happy to do so.
See also: ape, leader

every inch a/the (something)

Fully and completely something; something in every detail. The designer will understand if you want to make more changes—he is every inch a professional. Wow, your costume is great! You look every inch the old Hollywood starlet.
See also: every, inch

the leader of the free world

1. The United States of America, especially in relation to international politics. Sometimes capitalized. Ever since the Cold War, America has prided itself on being known as the Leader of the Free World. Some people feel that our country has a responsibility, as the leader of the free world, to help shape the way countries across the globe do business.
2. By extension, the President of the United States of America. Sometimes capitalized. Since he was a young boy, Gerald had dreamed of someday becoming the leader of the free world.
See also: free, leader, of, world
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

every ˌinch a/the ˈleader, ˈstar, ˈhero, etc.

a leader, star, hero, etc. in every way; completely a leader, star, hero, etc: She is every inch a movie star. That horse looks every inch a winner. He looked every inch the romantic hero.
See also: every, inch
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • ape leader
  • make old bones
  • better be an old man's darling than a young man's slave
  • darling
  • bolt bucket
  • a piece of old tackie
  • old cobber
  • be (as) old as the hills
  • any old
  • old fogy
References in classic literature
For us that movement of the peoples from west to east, without leaders, with a crowd of vagrants, and with Peter the Hermit, remains incomprehensible.
War and Peace
When the young leader lay in the snow and moved no more, One Eye stalked over to the she-wolf.
Running at the forefront of the pack was a large grey wolf--one of its several leaders. It was he who directed the pack's course on the heels of the she-wolf.
White Fang
Amid the varied fortunes of the combat, the eyes of all endeavoured to discover the leaders of each band, who, mingling in the thick of the fight, encouraged their companions both by voice and example.
It was, indeed, only the relics and embers of the fight which continued to burn; for of the few knights who still continued in the lists, the greater part had, by tacit consent, forborne the conflict for some time, leaving it to be determined by the strife of the leaders.
Ivanhoe
Mowgli could hear the voice of the tailless leader bidding his people hold on and kill out every wolf in Seeonee.
Again Mowgli dived, and again a dhole went under, and rose dead, and again the clamour broke out at the rear of the pack; some howling that it was best to go ashore, others calling on their leader to lead them back to the Dekkan, and others bidding Mowgli show himself and he killed.
I have filled these dogs' mouths with dirt; I have tricked them in the broad daylight, and their leader lacks his tail, but here be some few for thee still.
Second Jungle Book
Neither Number Thirteen nor any of his crew had ever before seen a boat, and outside of the leader there was scarcely enough brains in the entire party to render it at all likely that they could ever navigate it, but the young man saw that the other prahus were being propelled by the long sticks which protruded from their sides, and he also saw the sails bellying with wind, though he had but a vague conception of their purpose.
The Monster Men
She forgot her child in the eruption of battle that had broken upon her quiet street, And she forgot the strikers, and everything else, in amazement at what had happened to the round-bellied, cigar-smoking leader. In some strange way, she knew not how, his head had become wedged at the neck between the tops of the pickets of her fence.
And as she looked, she saw the round-bellied leader, still wedged by the neck between the pickets, draw a revolver with his free hand, and, squinting horribly sidewise, press the muzzle against Chester's side.
The round-bellied leader still leered at her and fluttered one hand, though two big policemen were just bending to extricate him.
The Valley of the Moon
The black civilly volunteered his services to take off the leaders, and the Judge very earnestly seconded the measure with his advice.
You know that I broke the leaders myself, and the pole-horses are too near my whip to be restive.
It was not in the nature of the Frenchman to disappoint expectations so confidently formed; although he cat looking down the precipice which fronted him, as Richard turned his leaders into the quarry, with a pair of eyes that stood out like those of lobsters.
Pioneers