The king of one square foot.

This phrase describes someone who has little power, but craves it. However, they do have absolute control over one very small , often trivial area, and if you ever step into their one square foot of jurisdiction, they really let you know who is the boss. In this way they get to feel powerful at someone else's expense, usually by being a complete asshole and humiliating them. They can be referred to as the king (or queen) of one square foot.

The greeter lady at Walmart screamed at the poor guy who accidentally walked in the exit door like he just comitted a felony. What a jerk, she is just the queen of one square foot.
The guy running the seminar picks the people who get to ask the speaker questions after the presentation. If you ask out of turn he will ream you in public. He is just the king of one square foot, pathetic.
The cashier is always chewing out people who get flustered when paying or decide an item is too expensive to purchase and embarrassing them in front of the other customers. He is the king of one square foot.

The king of one square foot. by Genetica August 30, 2021