high man on the totem pole

high man on the totem pole

The person (not necessarily a man) with the most experience, authority, or influence in a social or corporate hierarchy. Oh, just boss those freshmen around—now that we're seniors, we're the high men on the totem pole! As much as I'd like to change fields, how can I go back to an entry-level job after having been the high man on the totem pole? We're just waiting for the high man on the totem pole to give us the green light before we get the project started.

See also: high, man, on, pole, totem

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

high man on the totem pole

Fig. the person at the top of the hierarchy; the person in charge of an organization. I don't want to talk to a vice president. I demand to talk to the high man on the totem pole. Who's in charge around here? Who's high man on the totem pole?

See also: high, man, on, pole, totem

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.