English Synonyms.—Big bug; big dog of the tanyard; big dog with the brass collar; big gun; big head; big one; big (or great) pot; big wig; biggest toad in the puddle; cock of the walk; don; large potato; nob; rumbusticator; stunner; swell; swell-head; topper; top-sawyer.
French Synonyms.—Un gros bonnet (familiar = big wig); un fiérot (a stuck-up); un herr (from the German); Monsieur Raidillon or Monsieur Pointu (= Mr. Stuck-up).
1836. M. Scott, Tom Cringle’s Log, ch. ii. A Spanish Ecclesiastic, the Canon of ——. Plenty of great guns, at any rate—a regular park of artillery.
1843. Haliburton, Sam Slick in England, ch. xv. The great guns and big bugs have to take in each other’s ladies.
Ibid., p. 24. Pick out the big bugs and see what sort of stuff they’re made of.
1853. Wh. Melville, Digby Grand, ch. x. The great guns of the party, the rector of the parish, the member for the county.
2. (pedlers’).—A peculiar practice; a trick of particular usefulness and importance; a favourite wheeze (q.v.).
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, i., 256. The street-seller’s great gun, as he called it, was to make up packets, as closely resembling as he could accomplish it those which were displayed in the windows of any of the shops.
To Blow Great Guns, verb. phr. (nautical).—To blow a gale; also to blow great guns and small arms.
1839. Harrison Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard [1889], 23. ‘Curse me, if I don’t think all the world means to cross the Thames this fine night!’ observed Ben. ‘One’d think it rained fares as well as blowed great guns.’