Have you seen the expression 'movers and shakers' somewhere and would like to know more about the meaning and context of it? The phrase 'movers and shakers' is a common figurative saying in English. This post unpacks its meaning, origin and common use.
Meaning
The expression 'movers and shakers' is a type of figurative saying in the English language, one which is usually used to refer to influential or socially apt people.
The phrase can be used as a direct reference to someone, though can also be said about someone in conversation.
Someone who is referred to as a 'mover and shaker' is someone who has class, style and social standing.
The phrase is used as a compliment, but can also be used in a general sense to refer to a group of people.
The phrase can also be used in the singular form as 'mover and shaker'.
The phrase is a poetic reference, though the origin of the phrase is forgotten for most people who use the expression.
The saying can also be used in the negative form to point out that someone is 'not a mover and shaker', or that the opposite of the phrase's meaning is true.
Example Usage
“If you're going to host an event, make sure that you invite all of the most important movers and shakers or nobody is going to know about it.”
“We went to the club to hang out with the movers and shakers back in the day, which basically just meant that we wanted to smoke grass with the cool kids behind the 7-11.”
“If you want to make sure that the right people are following your social media channel at the moment, then you should try to get all of the movers and shakers to comment on your stuff.”
“You young kids might call them influencers, but we used to call them movers and shakers back in our day. The who's who, the cream of the crop, you know, the rich and popular kids.”
Origin
According to most online language resources, the origin of the phrase 'movers and shakers' can be found in an 1800s poem written by William Edgar O'Shaughnessy.
The phrase 'movers and shakers' first appeared in Ode in 1874, after which the phrase would soon become absorbed into the English language after other writers and speakers picked up on the phrase and continued to use it.
The phrase 'we are the music makers' comes from the same poem, and was famously quoted in the original movie adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.
Whilst the original poem referred to artists, the phrase soon came to mean anyone who was influential or social enough to be notable.
The phrase appears in several Urban Dictionary entries, including one from 2009.
Phrases Similar to Movers and Shakers
- The it crowd
- Socialites
Phrases Opposite to Movers and Shakers
- Everyman
What is the Correct Saying?
- [The] movers and shakers
- Movers and shakers
- [They are] movers and shakers
Ways People May Say Movers and Shakers Incorrectly
There are several ways in which someone can use the saying 'movers and shakers' in the wrong way, or that someone can misunderstand the meaning of the phrase.
'Movers and shakers' is a phrase that refers to people which can be seen as popular, social, or elite. The saying can be used as a direct reference, or as a third-party reference to someone else in conversation.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Movers and Shakers
There are several ways in which the phrase 'movers and shakers' can be used in the correct way, including to say that '[they are] movers and shakers'.
The saying can also be used in the negative form, to deny that people are 'movers and shakers' or that someone is a 'mover and shaker' when the saying is used in the singular form.