10/03/2023
S O C I E T Y π π π
Idioms
People in society π
π a self-made man - person who is rich and successful because they have worked hard, not because they were born into a rich family;
π the chattering classes - educated people who enjoy discussing social, political and cultural issues;
π a second-class citizen - someone treated as if they are less important than others in society;
π the grass roots - ordinary people in a political or sporting organisation, not the leaders;
π the silent majority - large number of people who do not express their opinions publicly;
π the (men in) grey suits - people in business or politics with a lot of influence or power, although they are not well known to the public;
π public enemy number one - smth or someone that a lot of people dislike or disapprove of;
π new kid on the block - someone who is new in a place or organisation and has many things to learn about it (informal).
Power in society π
π the movers and shakers - the people with power and influence;
π win by a landslide - win by a very large majority;
π rig the election - arrange an election in a dishonest way;
π the power behind the throne - someone with no official position in government or an organisation but who secretly controls it;
π being in the public eye - being famous; written about in the media and seen on TV;
π pull the strings - is in control, often secretly;
π the grey vote - the vote of older people (also, grey pound);
π Mr Big - the most important person in a company or organisation (informal);
π on the gravy train - used to refer to a way of making money quickly, easily and often dishonestly, usually through your position in society.