tin god

English

Etymology

From tin's figurative sense as "worthless" or "counterfeit" in relation to silver and god's use for idols.

Pronunciation

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Noun

tin god (plural tin gods)

  1. (idiomatic) A false god, particularly a petty tyrant, a person who abuses or exceeds their authority over others in petty ways.
    • 1886, Rudyard Kipling, “[Departmental Ditties] Public Waste”, in Departmental Ditties […], New York, N.Y.: M. F. Mansfield & A. Wessels, published 1899, →OCLC:
      Wherefore the Little Tin Gods harried their little tin souls, / Seeing he came not from Chatham, jingled no spurs at his heels; […]
    • 1909, Frederic William Wile et al., Our German Cousins, page 89:
      In Prussia alone there are 492 Landräte—a sort of district commissioner—all Government officials or directly in touch with the central government, and all little tin gods in their own district.
    • 1943 March 3, Redacted Dodgeville, Wisconsin, Draft Board member, FBI report:
      [Frank Lloyd Wright] was regarded by members of the [Taliesin] fellowship as somewhat of an idol, a , or a master, who could do no wrong.

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