ENGLISH
REFERENCE

merry men

idiom
Meaning

A group of assistants, subordinates, or lackeys


Origin

disputed origin

An allusion to Robin Hood's band of outlaws.

Examples
SIMPLE

The boss arrived with his merry men to fix the problem.

CONTEXTUAL

The politician walked into the room surrounded by his merry men, who were ready to handle any difficult questions.

COMPLEX

The CEO entered the boardroom flanked by his merry men, a loyal group of subordinates eager to implement his controversial new strategy without question.

Anchors to
Related idioms7entries
  1. 01

    go on one's merry way

    To depart.

  2. 02

    God's gift to men

    Someone irresistible to men: someone whom all men find attractive; (often) someone ironically described as such.

  3. 03

    man among men

    A man who is accepted on the same terms, and as having the same worth, as other men in society.

  4. 04

    merry Andrew

    A person who clowns publicly; a buffoon; an entertainer's assistant.

  5. 05

    merry dance

    A useless waste of time resulting from a deception.

  6. 06

    play merry havoc with

    Synonym of play the devil with.

  7. 07

    play merry hell with

    Synonym of play the devil with.

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