Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Grand Poobah

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Grand Poobah

Grand Poobah is a term derived from the name of the haughty character Pooh-Bah in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado (1885). In this comic opera, Pooh-Bah holds numerous exalted offices, including "First Lord of the Treasury, Lord Chief Justice, Commander-in-Chief, Lord High Admiral ... Archbishop ... Lord Mayor" and "Lord High Everything Else". The name has come to be used as a mocking title for someone self-important or locally high-ranking and who either exhibits an inflated self-regard or who has limited authority while taking impressive titles.

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  • The term "Grand Poobah" was used recurringly on the television show The Flintstones as the name of a high-ranking elected position in a secret society, the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes. The main characters, Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble, were members of the lodge. The lodge is a spoof of secret societies and men's clubs like the Freemasons, the Shriners, the Elks Club and the Moose Lodge.
  • The character Howard Cunningham on the TV series Happy Days was a Grand Poobah of Leopard Lodge No. 462 in Milwaukee.
  • A Fraggle Rock episode is called "The Secret Society of Poohbahs". Gillis Fraggle serves as the Beggler-Beg of the Poohbas, Convincing John serves as the Vanguard of the Poohbas and Red Fraggle serves as the Mind-Reader who sees if a potential member is worthy of joining the Poohbahs.
  • In the comic strip Pearls Before Swine, the character Rat deems himself Grand Poobah of the Benevolent Society of Angry Misanthropes.
  • Grand Puba is an American rapper best known as a member of the group Brand Nubian.

    • Other uses

  • Bill Levin, founder of the First Church of Cannabis in Indiana, refers to himself as the Grand Poobah of the church.

    • References

    Grand Poobah Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA