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

Related Words

• bigwig
• dignitary
• heavyweight
• mogul