cog in the wheel

Idioms and Phrases

Also, cog in the machine . One who holds a minor but necessary post in a large organization, as in Frank knew he was just a cog in the wheel of this giant corporation . This term alludes to the role of the mechanical cog , one of the teeth on a wheel or gear that, by engaging other teeth, transmits or receives motion. Used figuratively since about 1930, it sometimes is put as small cog in a large wheel , emphasizing a person's lack of importance.