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Pooh-bah: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Pooh-bah noun. A self-important person who holds many offices at once.
How to say it
POO-bah/ˈpuːbɑː/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (POO). Forms: pooh-bahs.
Pooh-bah in a sentence
The local pooh-bah chairs the parish council, the golf club and the flower show.
Every pooh-bah in the industry turned up to be photographed at the awards.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- bigwig
- panjandrum
- mandarin
- grandee
Where pooh-bah comes from
From Pooh-Bah, the “Lord High Everything Else” in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado (1885).
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Every _____ in the industry turned up to be photographed at the awards.
- pooh-bah
- secondment
- rationale
Show the answer
pooh-bah: Every pooh-bah in the industry turned up to be photographed at the awards.