Use of chief as equivalent of boss





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According to the OLD, the noun chief can be used for




a person with a high rank or the highest rank in a company or an
organization.




However, while it of course appears in CEO and other job titles, I would always prefer to call refer to my line manager as my boss rather than my chief. Is this consistent with the usage by native speakers or does it depend on the region?










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  • 1





    It doesn't just depend on region, it depends on the argot within the organization. If you join a company where everyone refers to his or her supervisor as supes, you will too, even if no one does so at any other company in town. Chief is well-ingrained in U.S. medical settings, for example, for specific positions.

    – choster
    Aug 14 '18 at 20:25








  • 2





    Just to clarify, are you asking about how one may refer or talk about someone like that, or about how to call them to their face. That is, can you create a sentence for which you want to check its viability. eg 'My boss just asked me to walk his dog.' and 'Hey, boss, your dog walks very fast.'. Are you asking about 'chief' in those positions or for something else?

    – Mitch
    Sep 14 '18 at 3:01











  • I'm interested in the former.

    – painfulenglish
    Sep 15 '18 at 5:22






  • 1





    I would say "my boss" but I would never say "my chief". "Chief" is really only used adjectivally or in certain specific titles, like the C-suite positions, but also as @choster mentioned in certain types of organizations like medical or military ones, where certain management positions have "chief" in the title.

    – nohat
    Nov 13 '18 at 2:50


















2















According to the OLD, the noun chief can be used for




a person with a high rank or the highest rank in a company or an
organization.




However, while it of course appears in CEO and other job titles, I would always prefer to call refer to my line manager as my boss rather than my chief. Is this consistent with the usage by native speakers or does it depend on the region?










share|improve this question














bumped to the homepage by Community 42 mins ago


This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.











  • 1





    It doesn't just depend on region, it depends on the argot within the organization. If you join a company where everyone refers to his or her supervisor as supes, you will too, even if no one does so at any other company in town. Chief is well-ingrained in U.S. medical settings, for example, for specific positions.

    – choster
    Aug 14 '18 at 20:25








  • 2





    Just to clarify, are you asking about how one may refer or talk about someone like that, or about how to call them to their face. That is, can you create a sentence for which you want to check its viability. eg 'My boss just asked me to walk his dog.' and 'Hey, boss, your dog walks very fast.'. Are you asking about 'chief' in those positions or for something else?

    – Mitch
    Sep 14 '18 at 3:01











  • I'm interested in the former.

    – painfulenglish
    Sep 15 '18 at 5:22






  • 1





    I would say "my boss" but I would never say "my chief". "Chief" is really only used adjectivally or in certain specific titles, like the C-suite positions, but also as @choster mentioned in certain types of organizations like medical or military ones, where certain management positions have "chief" in the title.

    – nohat
    Nov 13 '18 at 2:50














2












2








2








According to the OLD, the noun chief can be used for




a person with a high rank or the highest rank in a company or an
organization.




However, while it of course appears in CEO and other job titles, I would always prefer to call refer to my line manager as my boss rather than my chief. Is this consistent with the usage by native speakers or does it depend on the region?










share|improve this question














According to the OLD, the noun chief can be used for




a person with a high rank or the highest rank in a company or an
organization.




However, while it of course appears in CEO and other job titles, I would always prefer to call refer to my line manager as my boss rather than my chief. Is this consistent with the usage by native speakers or does it depend on the region?







word-usage nouns






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked Aug 14 '18 at 19:00









painfulenglishpainfulenglish

1,75511536




1,75511536





bumped to the homepage by Community 42 mins ago


This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.







bumped to the homepage by Community 42 mins ago


This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.










  • 1





    It doesn't just depend on region, it depends on the argot within the organization. If you join a company where everyone refers to his or her supervisor as supes, you will too, even if no one does so at any other company in town. Chief is well-ingrained in U.S. medical settings, for example, for specific positions.

    – choster
    Aug 14 '18 at 20:25








  • 2





    Just to clarify, are you asking about how one may refer or talk about someone like that, or about how to call them to their face. That is, can you create a sentence for which you want to check its viability. eg 'My boss just asked me to walk his dog.' and 'Hey, boss, your dog walks very fast.'. Are you asking about 'chief' in those positions or for something else?

    – Mitch
    Sep 14 '18 at 3:01











  • I'm interested in the former.

    – painfulenglish
    Sep 15 '18 at 5:22






  • 1





    I would say "my boss" but I would never say "my chief". "Chief" is really only used adjectivally or in certain specific titles, like the C-suite positions, but also as @choster mentioned in certain types of organizations like medical or military ones, where certain management positions have "chief" in the title.

    – nohat
    Nov 13 '18 at 2:50














  • 1





    It doesn't just depend on region, it depends on the argot within the organization. If you join a company where everyone refers to his or her supervisor as supes, you will too, even if no one does so at any other company in town. Chief is well-ingrained in U.S. medical settings, for example, for specific positions.

    – choster
    Aug 14 '18 at 20:25








  • 2





    Just to clarify, are you asking about how one may refer or talk about someone like that, or about how to call them to their face. That is, can you create a sentence for which you want to check its viability. eg 'My boss just asked me to walk his dog.' and 'Hey, boss, your dog walks very fast.'. Are you asking about 'chief' in those positions or for something else?

    – Mitch
    Sep 14 '18 at 3:01











  • I'm interested in the former.

    – painfulenglish
    Sep 15 '18 at 5:22






  • 1





    I would say "my boss" but I would never say "my chief". "Chief" is really only used adjectivally or in certain specific titles, like the C-suite positions, but also as @choster mentioned in certain types of organizations like medical or military ones, where certain management positions have "chief" in the title.

    – nohat
    Nov 13 '18 at 2:50








1




1





It doesn't just depend on region, it depends on the argot within the organization. If you join a company where everyone refers to his or her supervisor as supes, you will too, even if no one does so at any other company in town. Chief is well-ingrained in U.S. medical settings, for example, for specific positions.

– choster
Aug 14 '18 at 20:25







It doesn't just depend on region, it depends on the argot within the organization. If you join a company where everyone refers to his or her supervisor as supes, you will too, even if no one does so at any other company in town. Chief is well-ingrained in U.S. medical settings, for example, for specific positions.

– choster
Aug 14 '18 at 20:25






2




2





Just to clarify, are you asking about how one may refer or talk about someone like that, or about how to call them to their face. That is, can you create a sentence for which you want to check its viability. eg 'My boss just asked me to walk his dog.' and 'Hey, boss, your dog walks very fast.'. Are you asking about 'chief' in those positions or for something else?

– Mitch
Sep 14 '18 at 3:01





Just to clarify, are you asking about how one may refer or talk about someone like that, or about how to call them to their face. That is, can you create a sentence for which you want to check its viability. eg 'My boss just asked me to walk his dog.' and 'Hey, boss, your dog walks very fast.'. Are you asking about 'chief' in those positions or for something else?

– Mitch
Sep 14 '18 at 3:01













I'm interested in the former.

– painfulenglish
Sep 15 '18 at 5:22





I'm interested in the former.

– painfulenglish
Sep 15 '18 at 5:22




1




1





I would say "my boss" but I would never say "my chief". "Chief" is really only used adjectivally or in certain specific titles, like the C-suite positions, but also as @choster mentioned in certain types of organizations like medical or military ones, where certain management positions have "chief" in the title.

– nohat
Nov 13 '18 at 2:50





I would say "my boss" but I would never say "my chief". "Chief" is really only used adjectivally or in certain specific titles, like the C-suite positions, but also as @choster mentioned in certain types of organizations like medical or military ones, where certain management positions have "chief" in the title.

– nohat
Nov 13 '18 at 2:50










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boss OED




An original American equivalent of ‘master’ in the sense of employer
of labour; applied also to a business manager, or any one who has a
right to give orders. In England at first only in workmen's slang, or
humorously, = ‘leading man, swell, top-sawyer’; now in general use in
Britain.




This consistent with the usage by native speakers Ame. It is used in corporate America and in the American military with combat deployed units.






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    1 Answer
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    1 Answer
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    active

    oldest

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    active

    oldest

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    active

    oldest

    votes









    0














    boss OED




    An original American equivalent of ‘master’ in the sense of employer
    of labour; applied also to a business manager, or any one who has a
    right to give orders. In England at first only in workmen's slang, or
    humorously, = ‘leading man, swell, top-sawyer’; now in general use in
    Britain.




    This consistent with the usage by native speakers Ame. It is used in corporate America and in the American military with combat deployed units.






    share|improve this answer




























      0














      boss OED




      An original American equivalent of ‘master’ in the sense of employer
      of labour; applied also to a business manager, or any one who has a
      right to give orders. In England at first only in workmen's slang, or
      humorously, = ‘leading man, swell, top-sawyer’; now in general use in
      Britain.




      This consistent with the usage by native speakers Ame. It is used in corporate America and in the American military with combat deployed units.






      share|improve this answer


























        0












        0








        0







        boss OED




        An original American equivalent of ‘master’ in the sense of employer
        of labour; applied also to a business manager, or any one who has a
        right to give orders. In England at first only in workmen's slang, or
        humorously, = ‘leading man, swell, top-sawyer’; now in general use in
        Britain.




        This consistent with the usage by native speakers Ame. It is used in corporate America and in the American military with combat deployed units.






        share|improve this answer













        boss OED




        An original American equivalent of ‘master’ in the sense of employer
        of labour; applied also to a business manager, or any one who has a
        right to give orders. In England at first only in workmen's slang, or
        humorously, = ‘leading man, swell, top-sawyer’; now in general use in
        Britain.




        This consistent with the usage by native speakers Ame. It is used in corporate America and in the American military with combat deployed units.







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered Aug 14 '18 at 19:13









        lbflbf

        22.3k22575




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