rule the roost

present singular third person rules the roost · participle present ruling the roost · participle past ruled the roost · past ruled the roost

1. idiomaticTo be the controlling member(s) of a family, organization, or other group.

   At that moment in fashion, French couturiers ruled the roost.

   2004 February 16, Kate Betts, “9 Rei Kawakubo”, in Time

   3 more examples

   His was biding his time, and patiently looking forward to the days when he himself would sit authoritative at some board, and talk and direct, and rule the roost, while lesser stars sat round and obeyed.

   1857, Anthony Trollope, chapter 3, in Barchester Towers

   Felix (nothing if not modern) had succumbed already to the feeling that youth ruled the roost.

   1915, John Galsworthy, chapter 16, in The Freelands

   Finn Russell and Owen Farrell kicked two penalties apiece but it was the Scotland stand-off who ruled the roost - despite a ten-minute sin-binning for an attempted trip on England scrum-half Ben Youngs.

   2021 February 6, Graham Bean, “Scotland beat England at Twickenham for the first time in 38 years”, in The Scotsman

   Synonyms: wear the trousers