cog
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
a cog in the machine
Someone or something that is functionally necessary but of small significance or importance within a larger operation or organization. I'm tired of working in this thankless IT support job. I don't want to be just a cog in the machine anymore! Oh, I'm but a cog in the machine—it took the whole team to get this product to market so quickly. They don't care about us interns at all. We're just cogs in the machine, doing all the printing and copying without any recognition whatsoever.
a cog in the wheel
Someone or something that is functionally necessary but of small significance or importance within a larger operation or organization. I'm tired of working in this thankless IT support job. I don't want to be just a cog in the wheel anymore! Oh, I'm but a cog in the wheel—it took the whole team to get this product to market so quickly. They don't care about us interns at all. We're just cogs in the wheel, doing all the printing and copying without any recognition whatsoever.
a small cog in a large machine
Someone or something that is functionally necessary but of small significance or importance within a larger operation or organization. I'm tired of working in this thankless IT support job. I don't want to be just a small cog in a large machine anymore! Oh, I'm but a small cog in a large machine—it took the whole team to get this product to market so quickly. They don't care about us interns at all. We're just small cogs in a large machine, doing all the printing and copying without any recognition whatsoever.
a small cog in a large wheel
Someone or something that is functionally necessary but of small significance or importance within a larger operation or organization. I'm tired of working in this thankless IT support job. I don't want to be just a small cog in a large wheel anymore! Oh, I'm but a small cog in a large wheel—it took the whole team to get this product to market so quickly. They don't care about us interns at all. We're just small cogs in a large wheel, doing all the printing and copying without any recognition whatsoever.
cog in the machine
Someone or something that is functionally necessary but of small significance or importance within a larger operation or organization. I'm tired of working in this thankless IT support job. I don't want to be just a cog in the machine anymore! Oh, I'm but a cog in the machine—it took the whole team to get this product to market so quickly. They don't care about us interns at all. We're just cogs in the machine, doing all the printing and copying without any recognition whatsoever.
cog in the wheel
Someone or something that is functionally necessary but of small significance or importance within a larger operation or organization. I'm tired of working in this thankless IT support job. I don't want to be just a cog in the wheel anymore! Oh, I'm but a cog in the wheel—it took the whole team to get this product to market so quickly. They don't care about us interns at all. We're just cogs in the wheel, doing all the printing and copying without any recognition whatsoever.
slip a cog
To become mentally unbalanced, disturbed, or confused. Usually used humorously or facetiously. Sorry, I must have slipped a cog, because I have no idea what I was talking about just now. Grandpa, I think you've slipped a cog—I've never heard of that movie and I can't find it anywhere online!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
cog in the wheel
Also, cog in the machine. One who holds a minor but necessary post in a large organization, as in Frank knew he was just a cog in the wheel of this giant corporation. This term alludes to the role of the mechanical cog, one of the teeth on a wheel or gear that, by engaging other teeth, transmits or receives motion. Used figuratively since about 1930, it sometimes is put as small cog in a large wheel, emphasizing a person's lack of importance.
slip a cog
Also, slip a gear or one's gears . Lose one's ability to reason soundly or make correct judgments, as in She must have slipped a cog or she would never have gone out barefoot in December, or What's the matter with him? Has he slipped his gears? These slangy usages allude to a mechanical failure owing to the cog of a gear or a gear failing to mesh. The first dates from about 1930, the variant from the 1960s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
cog in the wheel (or machine
) a person who plays a small mundane (perhaps vital but generally unacknowledged or unappreciated) role in a large enterprise.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
a cog in the maˈchine/ˈwheel
(informal) a person who plays a small part in a large organization or plan: The firm tries hard to make its employees feel that they are more than simply cogs in the wheel.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017