pooh-bah

Related to pooh-bah: Poobah

pooh-bah

1. A self-important government official who holds several positions but performs little or no actual duties. The term comes from the character Pooh-Bah, Lord-High-Everything-Else, from The Mikado, a comic opera by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Only that pooh-bah in the cabinet could hold so many titles and do so little.
2. The most important or powerful person in a group, organization, business, or movement (e.g., the boss, leader, etc.). I think it sounds like a great idea, but you'll have to ask the pooh-bah first.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • pooh
  • Lord High Everything Else
  • like to hear (oneself) talk
  • like to hear oneself talk
  • above
  • above (oneself)
  • above yourself
  • married
  • marry
  • marry above oneself
References in periodicals archive
Nanki-Poo is informed by Pooh-Bah, Lord High Everything Else (such as First Lord of the Treasury, Lord Chief Justice, Lord High Admiral, Archbishop of Titipu, and Lord Mayor, "both acting and elect, all rolled into one"), that Yum-Yum will wed Ko-Ko that afternoon.
Mark Williams will be Ko-Ko and Tony Jay will be Pooh-Bah AUDIENCE members will be invited to catch the killer when the Swan Theatre Amateur Company presents Angela Lanyon's Sign In for
Praise indeed, from a man who played Pooh-Bah 2,000 times over a period of 25 years and was thus afforded ample opportunity to see sundry Ko-Kos at close quarters.
Malcolm Halliday conducts, and the cast includes Jeff Black (Ko-Ko), Sean O'Donnell (Nanki-Poo), Thomas Dawkins (Pooh-Bah), Joshua Taylor (Pish-Tush), Dave Bonneau (The Mikado), Angeliki Theoharis (Katisha), Elaine Crane (Yum-Yum), Jacque Eileen Wilson (Pitti-Sing), and Andrea Pisani (Peep-Bo).
During the Republican convention, Al From, the DLC's grand pooh-bah, moaned, "We can expect GOP presidential candidate George W.
In March 2010, for example, Peter Grand Pooh-Bah of British Politics Mandelson presented a pounds 20.7m Grant for Business Investment from the Government, and a proposed finance package from the European Investment Bank of up to pounds 197.3m.
Gerald Tinson will be centre stage as The Mikado with Paul Richmond as Nanki-Poo, Ian Grange as Ko-Ko , Bruce Merlin as Pooh-Bah and Richard Buxton as Pish-Tush.
There were terrific performances from tenor Peter McCutcheon (Nanki-Poo) and baritone David Ludwig (Pooh-Bah), both articulating their words beautifully and both having marvellously clear voices they can shape into rich interpretations.
I PRIDE myself on knowing the names of Liverpool councillors (present and past), so I was intrigued when I received leaflets at my Woolton home from Cllr Martyn Barber, a local pooh-bah I was unfamiliar with until I sawtwo pictures of him on the leaflets.
How happy then I am to report that Gareth Jones (as Pooh-Bah), Simon Butteriss (Ko-Ko The Lord High Executioner) Ivan Sharpe (Nanki-Poo) and Nuala Willis as a formidable Katisha took the house along with them and shot their lyrics out with unerring accuracy.
Gerald Tinson is suitably proud and supercilious as Pooh-Bah, and Michael Whitwam admirably characterises the hapless Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner - forced, against his will, to marry the fearsome Katisha, ably played by Norma Walker.
And Bruce Graham as Pooh-Bah, the Lord High of Everything, comes to the fore early on as he takes on a handful of roles.
The three principal comic roles were exceptionally well acted and sung by Steven Pitkanen (Pish-Tush), Thomas Goerz (Pooh-Bah) and Curt Olds (Ko-Ko).
Of course, high tech's grand pooh-bah is talking about the direction his company is taking, as well, in delivering such services.
This collection of essays, written by a conservative coterie and introduced by Weekly Standard pooh-bah William Kristol, amounts to a right-wing manifesto.