In the English language, there are countless phrases that have intriguing origins. One such phrase is “the big cheese,” which is commonly used to refer to someone who is considered to be the most important or influential person in a group or organization.
While the phrase may conjure up images of a large, cheesy treat, its actual roots lie in the Urdu language. The Urdu word for “thing” is “chiz,” and back in the days of the British Empire, Anglo-Indians would often use “chiz” to describe something that was considered to be of exceptional quality or importance.
Over time, “chiz” evolved into a term of admiration, used to describe anything that was considered to be the best of its kind. However, for some reason, the spelling of “chiz” changed to “cheese” in this context.
From there, it was a relatively small step to apply “cheese” to individuals, with the phrase “the big cheese” eventually emerging as a way of referring to the most important person in a group. This phrase is now widely used in English, even though its origins are relatively obscure