Meaning of organ grinder | Babel Free

Definitions

1. The player of a barrel organ.
2. The person who is in charge, rather than a lackey or representative; the person truly responsible for another's actions.
   figuratively

Equivalents

Examples

“There is one beautiful sight in the East End⟳, and only one, and it is the children dancing in the street when the organ-grinder goes his round.”

“The organ-grinders were at work⟳; but they were always precocious harbingers. It was near enough spring⟳ for them to go penny-hunting when the skating ball dropped at the park⟳.”

““You should read⟳ Spanish,” he said. “It is a noble tongue. It has not the mellifluousness of Italian, Italian is the language of tenors and organ-grinders, but it has grandeur: it does not ripple like⟳ a brook in a garden, but it surges tumultuous like⟳ a mighty river in flood⟳.””

“Thus the vision of humanity appeared to be in some way connected with Bloomsbury, and faded distinctly by the time she crossed the main road; then a belated organ-grinder in Holborn set⟳ her thoughts dancing incongruously; […]”

“Those who cannot play⟳ any instrument wheel a gramophone through the streets on a barrow, but the largest number⟳ of these street musicians are organ grinders.”

“I want⟳ to speak⟳ to the organ grinder, not the monkey.”

CEFR level