Wednesday's Random Slang-o-rama: Bigwig

You probably know the term bigwig. A bigwig is someone who is mighty important... or at least views himself (or herself) as such.

So, does this term have anything to do with actual wigs?
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No surprises here: It does!

According to the Online Etymological Dictionary, bigwig (or big-wig), meaning "great man, person of consequence," dates to 1781 and refers to the imposing wigs formerly worn by men of rank or authority.

The Grammarphobia Blog, in a post titled Wigs, Bigwigs, and big Whigs dives into this hairy topic with great enthusiasm, noting that the occasionally spotted big-whig is a misnomer. They track first use to 1703 in this passage spotted in a weekly journal called English Spy:

“Be unto him ever ready to promote his wishes … against dun or don—nob or big-wig—so may you never want a bumper of bishop.”

(Bumper of bishop? That's a new one on me! I think it has something to do with drinking some quantity of... something, but that's all I can determine. Anyone who has insight, please feel free to enlighten me. **)

Now this fellow is definitely a bigwig!
This image comes from Gallica Digital Library and is available under the digital ID btv1b8425660h, Public Domain, Link

** Update: And, someone did! Thank you, Liz, for ferreting out this definition of "bishop" from Green's Dictionary of Slang: a mixture of wine and water, topped off by a roasted orange, supposedly an episcopal favourite.