the organ grinder, not the monkey (English, noun)
expansion: the organ grinder, not the monkey (plural the organ grinders, not the monkeys)
Senses:
glosses: Synonym of organ grinder (“the person who is in charge, rather than a lackey or representative; the person truly responsible for another's actions”).
tags: idiomatic
Forms:
form: the organ grinders, not the monkeys
tags: plural
form: the organ-grinder, not the monkey
tags: alternative