IdiomDaily Life
English
Englisha captain of industry
Meaning: A powerful business leader who runs a major company.
Example: “The dinner was full of politicians and captains of industry.”
Origin: Coined by Thomas Carlyle in Past and Present (1843), where he called on "Captains of Industry" to lead society responsibly.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Un capitaine d'industrie Literally: A captain of industry
More English idioms
- kick against the pricks To resist authority or fate in a way that only hurts oneself.
- hell for leather As fast as possible.
- buy a pig in a poke To buy something without examining it first.
- a Trojan horse Something that seems harmless but hides a threat inside.
- drain the cup to the dregs To endure a hardship or humiliation to the very end.
- the icing on the cake An extra good thing added to something already good.
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Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
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