high-muck-a-muck

[ hahy-muhk-uh-muhk, -muhk-uh-muhk ]

noun

, Informal.

1. an important, influential, or high-ranking person, especially one who is pompous or conceited.

high-muck-a-muck

noun

1. a conceited or haughty person

Word History and Origins

Origin of high-muck-a-muck¹

First recorded in 1855–60; from Chinook Jargon hayo makamak, hiyu muckamuck, literally, “plenty to eat, much food,” perhaps extended derisively to Indigenous people of high status with much disposable wealth, as for potlatches; hayo, from Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) ḥayo “ten” (the base of various measures with suffixes for specific countable nouns); mak(a)mak “eat, food,” from Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) ma·ḥo·ma(q-) “part of whale meat between blubber and flesh”

Word History and Origins

Origin of high-muck-a-muck¹

C19: from Chinook Jargon hiu muckamuck, literally: plenty (of) food

Example Sentences

Speaking of things totally irrational and crazy and absurd, the Manchester City high-muck-a-muck, Roberto Mancini, has decided that since winning the league the atmosphere around their Carrington training ground is a touch too straight-laced, a bit too stuffy.

From The Guardian

Alaskan settlers corrupted a powerful drink of the Hutsnuwu Indians into hooch, changed hiu muckamuck, the Chinook words meaning "plenty to eat," into a high-muck-a-muck, a "person of importance."

From Time Magazine Archive

At this point we must present, with apologies, the agent of the Autocrat, the agent, the High-muck-a-muck of the Pacific Slope, with a salary of a hundred thousand a year and perks!

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bigwig
• dignitary
• heavyweight
• mogul