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honcho

the person in charge of a task or organization

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Where does the word "honcho" come from? It comes from Japanese han + cho, and was adopted directly into English (1940s-1950s).

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Where does the word "honcho" come from? It comes from Japanese han + cho, and was adopted directly into English (1940s-1950s).

Honcho’s story begins in Japanese: han + cho meant “squad leader.” Combining "han" (squad, group) and "cho" (chief). It reached English by 1940s-1950s as honcho. Japanese 'squad leader', from 'han', squad, plus 'chō', chief. Today, honcho means the person in charge of a task or organization.

  1. Stage 1 · Japanese · medieval han + cho "squad leader", combining "han" (squad, group) and "cho" (chief).
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1940s-1950s honcho "the person in charge", Japanese 'squad leader', from 'han', squad, plus 'chō', chief.

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