BOSS
NOUNS, PERSON
1659 ► GAFFER a boss; a master; a governor; one’s employer or superior → obs. exc. Eng. dial.
1775 ► BACKRA-MAN a boss; a master → W. Indies
1789 ► BIG MAN a boss; a man of high status or importance in a social group, organization, business, etc.; a leader
1790 ► BACKRA → BUCCRA → BUCKRA → BUCKRAH a boss; a master
1828 ► MUGWUMP an important person; a leader; a boss → chiefly N. Amer.
1830 ► OLD MAN a boss; a superintendent; a foreman → US sl.
1836 ► BIG FISH the boss; a high-ranking or powerful, important person; an influential person; the leader → sl., orig. US
1843 ► GOV’NOR → GUVNER → GUVNOR a boss; a man in a position of authority or seniority; esp. a person’s immediate superior → colloq.
1844 ► HEAD DEVIL a boss; a person in charge; a ringleader → US sl.
..M19 ► OLD a boss; a master → sl.
1850 ► BUGHEWAY a boss or leader; an important person → Amer. dial.
1856 ► HIGH-MUCK-A-MUCK a boss; a chief officer, a manager, a leader → Amer. sl.
1858 ► BILLIE-DAWKUS the boss; the person in command, the leading figure → Sc.
1861 ► GUV a boss; a man in a position of authority or seniority; esp. a person’s immediate superior → colloq.
1866 ► UMIALIK a boss; a boat captain; a rich man → Alaska
1868 ► BIG AUGER → BIG AUGUR a boss; an important person; a foreman → US West. usage
1870 ► BOOSHWAY a leader; an important person → Amer. dial.
1872 ► BULL OF THE WOODS a boss; a foreman esp. in a logging camp → Amer. dial.
1880 ► RAMROD a boss; a superintendent; a foreman; a person in charge, esp. one who is a rigid disciplinarian → Amer. dial.
1882 ► HIGH-UP the boss; a high-ranking, influential, or important person; the boss, a person in authority → colloq.
1882 ► THE MAIN GUY the boss; a man of importance, prominence, or authority; the leader → Amer. sl.
1885 ► BIG CHEESE a boss in a situation or job; an important person, an influential figure → sl.
1886 ► HEAD KNOCKER a boss; a person having primary authority; a foreman, etc. → US sl.
1887 ► HIS NIBS the boss → sl.
1889 ► BALDOBER → BALDOVER → BALDOWER a boss, a leader, a spokesman → UK criminals’ sl.
1893 ► HEAD-BILLIE-DAWKUS a boss; a person who has the chief charge; the presiding genius → Sc.
1894 ► THE MAIN FINGER the boss; a man in charge; the head man → Amer. sl.
1896 ► MAIN SQUEEZE a boss, a foreman; an important person; the leader of a gang; the head of any organization → Amer. sl.
1898 ► PANNIKIN BOSS a minor boss; a person with a modest amount of authority; a foreman → Aust. sl.
1899 ► ACE the boss; a prominent individual; the chief → Amer. sl.
1899 ► THE MAIN STEM the boss; a celebrated person; a person in charge; the head of any organization → Amer. sl.
..20C ► CHIEF the boss, one’s superior → Amer. sl.
..20C ► CHUNKA BEEF → CHUNK OF BEEF the boss, the chief → Aust. rhyming sl.
..20C ► THE MAN WITH THE BRASS KNACKERS the boss → Can.
..20C ► TOP BANANA the boss, the leader → sl., chiefly US
1900 ► THE WORKS the leader, the boss → sl.
1905 ► HEAD PUSH a boss, a foreman, a supervisor → Amer. dial.
1905 ► PUSH a boss, a foreman, a supervisor → Amer. dial.
1905 ► (THE) BIG PUSH a boss, a foreman, a supervisor → Amer. dial.
1908 ► BIG STICK the boss; an important or self-important person → US sl.
1910 ► MAIN SQUIRT a boss → Amer. sl.
1912 ► BIG SQUEEZE a boss, a foreman; an important person; the leader of a gang; the head of any organization → US sl.
1913 ► COCK OF THE ROOST a person who dominates a group or situation; the top man; the boss → Amer. dial.
1913 ► HEAD CHEESE a boss in a situation or job; an important person, an influential figure → US sl.
1916 ► BIG BLOKE a boss, a superior → Aust. sl.
1916 ► GIMP a boss; a manager → US sl.
1918 ► HEAD SERANG → HEAD SHERANG the boss, the person in charge → Aust. sl.
1919 ► HEAD BUMMER the boss; the chief; the person in charge → sl.
1921 ► (THE) BIG GUY a boss, a leader; a powerful, wealthy, or prominent person
1926 ► PUSHER a boss, a foreman, a supervisor → Amer. dial.
1929 ► BIG ROD the boss; an important person; a person in charge → US sl.
1930 ► BULL a boss; a foreman esp. in a logging camp → Amer. dial.
1932 ► BULL GOOSE a boss; a leader → Amer. dial.
1939 ► PUSH-UP a boss, a foreman, a supervisor → Amer. dial.
1942 ► BALLBREAKER a cruel boss; a strict disciplinarian → US sl.
1942 ► GOVERNOR a boss; a superior; a manager or owner; a superintendent → Amer. sl.
1944 ► HEAD KNOCK a boss; a person having primary authority; a foreman, etc. → African-American sl.
1950 ► BIG an underworld boss; a ‘Mr. Big’ → criminals’ sl.
1950 ► MR. T. the boss → W. Indies, Rasta usage
1952 ► MOVER the boss; the person in charge → sl.
1954 ► BALL-BUSTER a hard or cruel boss → Amer. sl.
1958 ► MAIN PUSH a boss, a foreman, a supervisor → Amer. dial.
1959 ► BIG SMELL a boss in a situation or job; an important person; an influential figure → Aust. sl.
1966 ► (THE) BIG KAHUNA a boss; a person of great importance or power; a person in command, a boss → sl., orig. & chiefly US
1966 ► BALEBOS the big boss; the owner → sl., Yiddish (Bk.)
1966 ► BUDGEWAY a boss, a leader; an important person → Amer. dial.
1966 ► BUSHWA a boss, a leader; an important person → Amer. dial.
1966 ► HEAD SQUEEZE a boss, a foreman; an important person; the leader of a gang; the head of any organization → Amer. dial.
1967 ► HIGH PRESSURE a boss; a powerful man → US sl.
1969 ► THE PEA the boss; the person in authority → Aust. sl.
1970 ► LAANIE → LAHNEE → LANI → LANIE → LARNEY a boss; an employer → S. Afr. sl.
1970 ► MR. CHARLIE the boss; the man in power → sl.
1970 ► RAMRODDER a boss; a superintendent; a foreman; a person in charge, esp. one who is a rigid disciplinarian → Amer. dial.
1970 ► UNCLE CHARLIE the boss; a White man → Amer. dial., African-American usage, often derogatory
1972 ► HEAD COCK the boss; the person in charge; the ringleader → US sl.
1973 ► BIG ENCHILADA the boss; an influential person; the leader → US sl.
1975 ► BLOCK AND TACKLE one’s wife, boss, or superior; anyone who can or does restrains one’s actions → US colloq. (Bk.)
1975 ► GENERAL a boss; the person in authority, a school principal, head of a household, or the like → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
1977 ► BIG VEGETABLE the boss; an important person, an influential person → sl., orig. US
1984 ► BIG BANANA a boss; an important or influential person → US sl.
1984 ► BIG SUGAR a boss in a situation or job; an important person, an influential person → sl.
1984 ► WHIP a boss, a supervisor → US sl.
1988 ► HEAD SHEBANG the boss, the person in charge → Aust. sl. (Bk.)
1990 ► CHINGASO → CHINGAZO the boss, the leader → sl.
1992 ► DEAD LOSS a boss → UK rhyming sl.
1992 ► JOINT OF BEEF the boss; the chief → UK rhyming sl. for ‘chief’
1998 ► EDMUNDO (ROS) a boss → UK rhyming sl.
2000 ► PADRONE a boss, esp. in a gangster-related context → Italy sl.
PHRASES
2004 ► ALL CHIEFS AND NO INDIANS all bosses and no workers; a situation at work where everyone wants to give orders and no one wishes to work (Bk.)
VERBS
1894 ► GAFFER to boss; to act as a head man or overseer → Eng. dial.
1942 ► RAMROD to boss, to manage, esp. in a strictly disciplined way; to be a strict disciplinarian or taskmaster → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
Lexicophilia 