second fiddle
a person in a secondary or supporting role
TRANSLATION
die zweite Geige spielen, (in jemandes Schatten stehen)
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
President Musharraf's aides hint that that is precisely what he is aiming at, but the problem here is the general himself.
Nobody, not even members of the ruing PML, believe that the army is willing to surrender power to a truly empowered civilian government, or that Gen Musharraf is willing to PLAY SECOND FIDDLE to an elected prime minister.
(BBC News - 22nd December 2004)
Nobody, not even members of the ruing PML, believe that the army is willing to surrender power to a truly empowered civilian government, or that Gen Musharraf is willing to PLAY SECOND FIDDLE to an elected prime minister.
(BBC News - 22nd December 2004)
Did you
know?
second fiddle
Etymology
You can imagine how playing the second fiddle in a band, can also lead to the more general use of this idiom.
Here are some synonyms in the direction of second-in-command:
assistant, aide, ambassador, appointee, backup, commissioner, deputy, lieutenant, minister, proxy, representant, representative, second-in-command, sub, subordinate, substitute, surrogate
Etymology
You can imagine how playing the second fiddle in a band, can also lead to the more general use of this idiom.
Here are some synonyms in the direction of second-in-command:
assistant, aide, ambassador, appointee, backup, commissioner, deputy, lieutenant, minister, proxy, representant, representative, second-in-command, sub, subordinate, substitute, surrogate
