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big enchilada

 
Dictionary: big enchilada
or Big Enchilada
n. Slang
  1. One who is in charge: " (Mary McGrory).
  2. Something of the highest value or importance: " (Scott Ostler).

[On the model of such expressions as big cheese.]


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Idioms: big cheese
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Also, big shot or gun or wheel or enchilada. An important, powerful person; the boss. For example, She loved being the big cheese of her company; the big guns in Congress are bound to change the President's bill; you'd better not act like a big shot among your old friends; Harry was the big wheel in his class; and You'll have to get permission from the big enchilada. The first term dates from the late 1800s and its origin is disputed. Some think it comes from the Urdu word chiz or cheez for "thing," but others hold it plays on the English word "chief." Big gun is much older, dating from the early 1800s; big shot became very popular in the late 1920s, particularly when used for underworld leaders of gangsters; big wheel dates from about the same period. Big enchilada, often put as the big enchilada, is the newest, dating from the early 1970s.


WordNet: big cheese
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: (informal) an important influential person
  Synonyms: big shot, big wheel, head honcho


Best of the Web: big enchilada
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Some good "big enchilada" pages on the web:


Phrase
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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more