panjandrum

noun

Etymology: Coined as a nonce word in the 18th century by British dramatist Samuel Foote.

1. An important, powerful or influential person; muckamuck.

   “1755, Samuel Foote, The Grand Panjandrum (a nonsense poem written to test actor Charles Macklin's claim that he could accurately recite any paragraph of text after a single reading), So he died, / and she very imprudently married the Barber: / and there were present / the Picninnies, / and the Joblillies, / and the Garyulies, / and the grand Panjandrum himself, / with the little round button at top;”

   “1910, Eliakim Littell, Making of America Project, Robert S. Littell, Living age ... (Littell's Living Age), Volume 265, page 809, I think it's an excellent thing that the Great Panjandrum is coming for the week-end. Have you ever met him in private?" I ought to explain that the Great Panjandrum was the nickname for Lord Elkindale, the then Foreign Secretary.”

2. A self-important or pretentious person.

   “You can never imagine how delighted I was to find that instead of being the correct sort of big panjandrum you were supposed to be, you were really an old rip like papa.”

3. A massive, rocket-propelled, explosive-laden cart designed by the British military during World War II.

   “The Panjandrum lurched and overturned, the crash dislodging several of the rockets, which flew low over the beach in all directions […].”

   “The idea was that the Panjandrum, a kind of explosion-driven Ferris wheel, would be set rotating and then released into shallow water to roll up onto enemy beaches.”