Jack-in-office is a great man.
Meaning: Petty officials wielding minor authority often overestimate their importance and competence.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Human Nature
- Let them laugh that win. — Victory vindicates your choices; your ultimate success silences critics and doubters.
- Love is no lack. — Abundant affection enriches life without depleting the giver's supply or worth.
- Love me, love my dog. — Accept someone's flaws and attachments if you truly value them as a person.
- Manners often make fortunes. — Polite behavior and social grace open doors that talent and ability alone cannot unlock.
- Marriages are made in heaven. — Destined partners find each other through forces beyond human control, suggesting compati…
- Money often makes the man. — Wealth grants influence and respect in society, shaping how others perceive and treat an…
From our compliments & insults
- Без царя в голове (Bez tsarya v golove) — Foolish and reckless — with no one in charge upstairs.
- Cabeça de alho chocho — A forgetful scatterbrain whose thoughts won't stay put.
- Tu es mon rayon de soleil — A warm way to tell someone they brighten your day.