éminence grise
Meaning
A secret or unofficial decision-maker.
Translations
jefe máximo
grijze eminentie
eminência parda eminencia gris
éminence grise
eminenza grigia
Graue EminenzPronounced as (IPA)
/ˌɛmɪnɒns ˈɡɹiːz/
Etymology
Borrowed from French éminence grise (literally “grey eminence”), originally applied to François Leclerc du Tremblay (1577–1638), also known as Père Joseph, a French Capuchin friar who was the confidant and agent of Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642), the chief minister of France under Louis XIII (1601–1643). The term refers to du Tremblay’s influence over the Cardinal (who bore the honorific of Eminence), and the colour of his habit (grey, rather than the red of a cardinal).
Notes
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