grand fromage

A literal translation of big cheese into French.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹɒn ˈfɹɒmaʒ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: grand fro‧mage

grand fromage (plural grand fromages or grands fromages)

1. (humorous) A big cheese; an important person.
   • 2003, Stuart Maconie, “Out on the Floor”, in Cider With Roadies, London: Ebury Publishing, →ISBN, page 69:

     The two DJs who I'd seen at that Latics club event turned out to be real grand fromages of the scene, movers, shakers, opinion formers, revered figures.

   • 2004, Bella [Arabella Rosalind Hungerford] Pollen, Hunting Unicorns, London: Pan Books, →ISBN, page 18:

     A CBS executive was sitting in on the meeting. I couldn't remember his name but since the sale of Newsline to CBS a year ago, network grands fromages were becoming a familiar sight around the place.

   • 2008 January, Andrea Joy Cohen, “Uncovering a Girl's Ambition: Belleruth Naparstek, L.I.S.W., B.C.D.”, in A Blessing in Disguise: 39 Life Lessons from Today's Greatest Teachers, trade paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Berkley Books, →ISBN, page 81:

     But when all was said and done, I'd absorbed her belief that a woman was far more attractive, feminine, virtuous, and valuable when supporting and empowering the Grand Fromage, rather than being the Grand Fromage.

   • 2015 January, Melissa Kite, The Art of Not Having It All: True Stories of Men, Sex, and Other Disasters, 1st US edition, New York, N.Y.: Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press, →ISBN, page 163:

     On our next date I tell Him I think he is a big cheese. He laughs and says, "A grand fromage, eh? No, I'm not a grand fromage; I'm what you would call a medium fromage. Something like a Camembert or Époisses." We laugh.

• big shot
• poobah, grand poobah
• very important person, VIP