a tin god

(little) tin god

A pompous person. My attraction for him waned after he spent the entire evening acting like a little tin god. Everyone on the school board acts like a tin god. It's so irritating! A: "I'm glad to see that you don't act like a tin god, even after all the success you've had." B: "Thanks, I think it's important to stay humble."

See also: god, tin

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

a tin god

or

a little tin god

mainly BRITISH, LITERARY

If someone behaves like a tin god or like a little tin god, they behave as if they are much more important and powerful than they really are. So what are his qualifications for acting like a little tin god?

See also: god, tin

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012