éminence grise
/ˌɛmɪnɒ̃s ˈɡriːz
/noun (plural éminences grises pronounced same)
A person who exercises power or influence in a certain sphere without holding an official position: for years he has been an éminence grise operating in the shadows of party policy-making...
- But the Hutton inquiry isn't the kind of thing that éminences grises and powers behind thrones are used to.
Origin
1930s: French, literally 'grey eminence'. The term was originally applied to Cardinal Richelieu's grey-cloaked private secretary, Père Joseph (1577–1638).
Rhymes
- white admiral
- white Africa
- white African
- white alder
- white ale
- white alyssum
- white amur
- white ant
- white antimony
- white archangel
- White Army
- white arsenic
- white ash
- white-ash breeze
- white asparagus
- White Australia
- white-back
- white-backed
- white-backed vulture
- white backlash
- white backlasher
- whitebait
- whitebait dinner
- whitebait fritter
- whitebait season