washer

Like this video? Subscribe to our free daily email and get a new idiom video every day!

be the chief cook and bottle washer

To be involved in many aspects of a particular situation. Because so many people have left our department recently, I'm the chief cook and bottle washer, doing every little task that comes up.

See also: and, bottle, chief, cook, washer

chief cook and bottle washer

One who is involved in many aspects of a particular situation. Because so many people have left our department recently, I'm the chief cook and bottle washer, doing every little task that comes up.

See also: and, bottle, chief, cook, washer

gully washer

An extremely heavy rainstorm that usually lasts a short amount of time. That gully washer at 3 AM woke me up because the pouring rain was so loud on the roof!

See also: washer

head cook and bottle washer

One who is involved in many aspects of a particular situation. Because so many people have left our department recently, I'm the chief cook and bottle washer, doing every little task that comes up.

See also: and, bottle, cook, head, washer

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

chief cook and bottle washer

Fig. the person in charge of practically everything (such as in a very small business). I'm the chief cook and bottle washer around here. I do everything.

See also: and, bottle, chief, cook, washer

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

chief cook and bottle-washer

a person who performs a variety of important but routine tasks. informal

See also: and, chief, cook

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

head cook and bottle washer

and chief cook and bottle washer

n. someone who is in charge of trivial things as well as the important things. Ten years I’m here, and I’m just the head cook and bottle washer. The chief cook and bottle washer ends up doing everything that has to be done.

See also: and, bottle, cook, head, washer

chief cook and bottle washer

verb

See head cook and bottle washer

See also: and, bottle, chief, cook, washer

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

chief cook and bottle washer

Individual who has most of the many and quite varied responsibilities in an enterprise. This slangy Americanism originated in the first half of the 1800s. Alluding to kitchen duties, the term is used far more broadly, as in “Mr. Miller described himself as the ‘president, chief cook and bottle washer’ of his company” (New York Times, Nov. 7, 1992).

See also: and, bottle, chief, cook, washer

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer