king

a cat may look at a king: seecat.

King Charles's head an obsession.

☞ This expression alludes to the character of 'Mr Dick', in Charles Dickens's novel David Copperfield, who could not write or speak on any matter without the subject of Charles I's head intruding.

king of beasts the lion.

king of birds the eagle.

king of kings

1 a king who has lesser kings under him.

2 God.

king of terrors death personified.

king of the castle someone holding a pre-eminent position, rank, or place; a dominant or successful person.

☞ The allusion is to a children's game in which someone stands on top of a mound and dares the other children to pull him or her off. This is accompanied by the rhyme 'I'm the king of the castle. Get down, you dirty rascal!'

2015Guardian Hollywood's king of the castle, Steven Spielberg, has been in subdued mood for some time.

a king's ransom a huge amount of money; a fortune.

☞ In feudal times prisoners of war were freed for sums in keeping with their rank, so a king, as the highest-ranking individual, commanded the greatest ransom.

the sport of kings: seesport.

take the King's shilling: seeshilling.