organ grinder
organ grinder · organ grinders
шарманщик
Drehorgelspieler, Leierkastenmann
The player of a barrel organThe player of a barrel organ.
UK/ˈɔːɡən ˌɡɹaɪndə/US/ˈɔɹɡən ˌɡɹaɪndəɹ/
Meaning
2 sensesThe player of a barrel organ.
Drehorgelspieler, Leierkastenmann
шарма́нщикšarmánščik
(figuratively)The person who is in charge, rather than a lackey or representative; the person truly responsible for another's actions.
I want to speak to the organ grinder, not the monkey.
Translations
3 languagesРусский
By meaning 1
player of a barrel organ:
Deutsch
By meaning 1
player of a barrel organ:
Origin
From the repetitive grinding involved in playing a barrel organ. In figurative senses, froFrom the repetitive grinding involved in playing a barrel organ. In figurative senses, from the common 19th-century practice of training monkeys to dance to an organ grinder's music in order to perform on the street and solicit donations and spare change.
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