straw that stirs the drink
The person who stimulates or inspires a group; the major factor affecting a trend or set of developments.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She is the straw that stirs the drink in our office.”
“The team struggled for weeks, but once their captain returned, he proved to be the straw that stirs the drink.”
“While the manager handles the logistics, the lead developer is truly the straw that stirs the drink, driving the team toward innovation and success.”
first recorded 20th c. disputed origin
Possibly originating in 1977 with a widely-reported self-descriptive remark by baseball player Reggie Jackson.
- 01
bang straw
A farmer's servant, especially a thresher.
- 02
buy straw hats in winter
Of stocks, to buy when both demand and price are low, so as to sell when demand and price are high.
- 03
draw the short straw
To be selected to do an undesirable task (by drawing the shortest straw or otherwise).
- 04
drink from a firehose
To be overwhelmed (with work, information, etc.); to be inundated with an unrestricted or unfiltered amount.
- 05
drink with the flies
To drink alcohol while alone.
- 06
drinks o'clock
The time to begin social drinking.
- 07
drive someone to drink
To cause someone to drink lots of alcohol, as an escape from frustration.
- 08
drive to drink
Synonym of drive someone crazy.
Last updated August 10, 2026