tin god
English
editEtymology
editFrom tin's figurative sense as "worthless" or "counterfeit" in relation to silver and god's use for idols.
Pronunciation
editAudio (General Australian): (file)
Noun
edit- (idiomatic) A false god, particularly a petty tyrant, a person who abuses or exceeds their authority over others in petty ways.
- 1886, Rudyard Kipling, Departmental Ditties, page 24:
- The Little Tin Gods harried their little tin souls.
- 1943 March 3, Redacted Dodgeville, Wisconsin, Draft Board member, FBI report:
- [Frank Lloyd Wright] was regarded by members of the fellowship as somewhat of an idol, a tin god, or a master, who could do no wrong.
References
edit- “tin, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.