head honcho
noun phrase (slang)

- the person in charge

(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

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WORD ORIGIN

The origin of honcho (sometimes honsho), which has come into some slang use as a synonym for "boss," is in the Japanese word hancho, squad commander (han = squad + sho = leader). It was widely used by American army personnel in the World War II occupation forces as an adjective meaning "top," "big boss," and so forth.

Honcho was popular in Japanese-American street and bar language, in both English and Japanese with the Japanese being corrupted. It was neither correct Japanese nor correct English, but it was effective.

During World War II, Allied troops often adopted and modified foreign words such as hancho/honcho.

Gung ho, meaning extremely enthusiastic and dedicated, is another example.

(source: Morris Dictionary Of Word and Phrase Origins, American Heritage Dictionary)

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SYNONYMS

boss, big cheese, big enchilada, big fish, big gun, big shot, big wheel, chieftain, top dog

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Practice OWAD in a conversation:

"Who is the HEAD HONCHO in this organization?"