Muckety-Muck
/ˈmʌkəti ˌmʌk/noun
A self-important or high-ranking person, especially one who behaves pompously.
Did you know?Muckety-muck is linked to Chinook Jargon muckamuck, originally connected with eating and food, then humorously associated with important people at lavish feasts.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact period
Nuu-chah-nulth
makuk
“Food; something to eat”
18th–19th Century
Chinook Jargon
muckamuck
“Food, eating, or a meal”
19th Century
Chinook Jargon/English
high muckamuck
“A person of high rank or authority, likely associated with prominent hosts or ceremonial meals”
Late 19th Century
American English
muck-a-muck
“An important or influential person, often used mockingly”
20th Century–Modern English
English
muckety-muck
“A pompous or self-important person”
Explore more surprising origins