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big swinging dick

1. the financial industry's term for a rainmaker; a Wall Street executive who brings in enormous amounts of money for the firm, possibly because he has just screwed a customer.

An expression made famous by Michael Lewis in Liar’s Poker, published in 1989.

2. a mover and shaker in any organization

Calling some one a dick is an insult.
Calling some one a big dick is a bigger insult.
Calling some one a big swinging dick is a term of respect.

Not a nickname for a large gorilla named Richard.
But Dick Perle didn't want to be a mere influence peddler. He wanted to be a businessman, a venture capitalist, a Big Swinging Dick.
big swinging dick by mandingoe October 5, 2004

Big Swinging Dick

A cross country runner who cares primarily about his rank among his teamates, not among his competition from other teams

A runner who begins a race or training run hard and then proceeds to fade steadily ultimately getting his ass kicked

A runner who goes all out like an idiot on monda and tuesday workouts, and has jack shit left for the rest of the week
"John was in the lead for the first 2 miles, but he had nothing for the last 3. He'd be a decent runner if he didn't try to be such a Big Swinging Dick."
Big Swinging Dick by Joe's Hole August 28, 2009

Big Dick Swinging

"Big Dick Swinging" is a phrase used to instill a sense of wellness and optimism into ones self before attempting to overcome a challenge for which one is not prepared.
Jill: "Are you ready for the math exam?"
John: "I'm going to walk into that exam Big Dick Swinging!"

Big dick swinging

When someone brags about something that isn't worth bragging about
Guy 1: Yo. I just got a new Xbox controller and it's custom.
Guy 2: Big dick swinging.

Big Dick Swinging on Campus 

A saying that describes a person who thinks they are in charge or important.
“Oh look at the big dick swinging on campus
The grindset is a contemporary ideology of self-exploitation disguised as strength, deeply tied to the aesthetics of the “sigma male” and to new digital forms of patriarchy. It promotes the idea that human worth depends on productivity, economic success, absolute emotional control, and the ability to work endlessly, turning vulnerability, rest, community, and tenderness into signs of weakness. Beneath its rhetoric of discipline and power often lies a profound inability to relate healthily to pain, fragility, and human interdependence.
“That’s the grindset, brother. While weak men sleep and complain, sigma males stay disciplined, work in silence, suppress emotions, and build power while everyone else wastes time chasing comfort.”
Grindset by Omega-Male May 22, 2026
Word of the Day on May 23, 2026