# Czar, Caesar and related metaphors.



## EmilyD

This word, "tsar" also spelled "czar" and "csar", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar

is being used in the U.S. with great frequency (I think) to describe any appointed Authority.

My question is:
*In your countries and cultures is this metaphor common?
*I suspect few people in the U.S. have any sense of this word's history.  Is its etymology well understood/appreciated where you live?

The most recent use of the term that I have seen is "Car czar"
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wa...ld_the_car_czar_be_too_poli.html?nav=rss_blog


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## zapateado

Not recent: the 19th and 20th Century German Kaiser (Kaiser also an automobile manufactured in the US in the '50s.)


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## Miguelillo 87

Well I have to say that in Mexico we also have the "Zar antidrogas" obviously for the proximity to your country; Another kind of this words, well we use a lot Emperor but not for a person but hotels, restaurants ant issues like those


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## Sepia

EmilyD said:


> This word, "tsar" also spelled "czar" and "csar", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar
> 
> is being used in the U.S. with great frequency (I think) to describe any appointed Authority.
> 
> My question is:
> *In your countries and cultures is this metaphor common?*
> I suspect few people in the U.S. have any sense of this word's history. Is its etymology well understood/appreciated where you live?
> 
> The most recent use of the term that I have seen is "Car czar"
> http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wa...ld_the_car_czar_be_too_poli.html?nav=rss_blog


 

I must admit I've never heard it at any time before, until a few days ago in the constellation you mention: "Car czar".

I don't suppose it has to do with the fact that the Czar was the last feudal ruler that had any authority in what is now the USA.


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## Kevin Beach

I'm afraid it is commonly used in BrE to mean somebody in overall and aggressive charge of a high profile scheme. For example, the person put in overall charge of forming a strategy for tackling the use of illegal drugs was called the Drugs Tsar.

It has become a cliché here.


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## alexacohen

It is used here to refer to someone who has a lot of power and/or money.

A politician, the owner of a football team,  usually a very showy person.


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## sokol

Sepia said:


> I must admit I've never heard it at any time before, until a few days ago in the constellation you mention: "Car czar".
> 
> I don't suppose it has to do with the fact that the Czar was the last feudal ruler that had any authority in what is now the USA.


Well I am sure, Sepia, that you are familiar with "Medien*zar*" which essentially is the same _kind _of use.
So in principle the same is done in German too - only it wouldn't be used for an owner of car industry: _Autozar _ or even _Industriezar _ would not be correct use of this "Zar (Tsar) (Czar)" >suffix< in German. Or probably the latter - _Industriezar _- would be acceptable but certainly not _Autozar_.


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## Outsider

EmilyD said:


> This word, "tsar" also spelled "czar" and "csar", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar
> 
> is being used in the U.S. with great frequency (I think) to describe any appointed Authority.
> 
> My question is:
> *In your countries and cultures is this metaphor common?
> *


No, not at all. It still sounds a little odd to me when I hear it in English, but different strokes for different folks...



EmilyD said:


> I suspect few people in the U.S. have any sense of this word's history.  Is its etymology well understood/appreciated where you live?


Oh, of course!

The difference is that in English the term, when used as you said, is neutral. If I translated "car czar" into Portuguese literally, it would sound as though I were talking about some kind of tyrant or overpowerful tycoon.


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## Sepia

sokol said:


> Well I am sure, Sepia, that you are familiar with "Medien*zar*" which essentially is the same _kind _of use.
> So in principle the same is done in German too - only it wouldn't be used for an owner of car industry: _Autozar _ or even _Industriezar _ would not be correct use of this "Zar (Tsar) (Czar)" >suffix< in German. Or probably the latter - _Industriezar _- would be acceptable but certainly not _Autozar_.




In Geman, yes, but not in English. I know a lot of funny words that are still used or once were - but "Car Czar" - I heard that for the first time four days ago on CNN.

In German I've heard "Papst" (Pope) more frequently than "Tzar". That wouldn't work in English either.


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## Nanon

In France, it is pretty much as common as in the UK, with similar connotations of high profile, aggressiveness and sometimes despotism, like in absolute monarchy.
I think (?) the metaphor is understood at least since the XIX century. Quoting from Flaubert's "Dictionnaire des Idées Reçues" (XIX century):



> *CZAR** : *Prononcer tzar et de temps en temps autocrate.


However, by that time, the official title of Russian monarchs was not "царь" anymore. One century before, Peter the Great had decided to use a more European name and adopted the title "Imperator" instead.

The Pope metaphor is also used in French to reflect knowledge or intellectual authority. It is also used for founders or advocates of a doctrine, especially if it is perceived that they have absolute truth in their hands. "Le Pape du libéralisme" = Milton Friedman. Other metaphors with similar connotations are "le grand prêtre" (the high priest) or "le grand manitou" (from the name of Manitou, an Amerindian divinity).


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## anothersmith

I'm aware of the origins of the word, but only because I studied Russian.   When I tell people in this country that the word derives from the Latin "Caesar," they're almost always surprised.


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## Hakro

In Finnish the word 'tsaari' (czar) is today seldom used for a tyrant or a high leader or a showy person. Instead we use the word 'keisari' (from German 'Kaiser') that in fact means the same.

We have another expression, an adjective 'tsaarinaikainen' (czar time), that means bureaucratic government systems or officials who still think that the ordinary people are a kind of lower class. In other contexts 'tsaarinaikainen' may describe something very old, out-of-date, anachronous, something that shouldn't be used anymore.


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## EmilyD

Thank you, *everyone*, for your answers!

Is "cesarean" also universal? 

_Nomi_


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## Mate

Moderator note:

In order to broaden this discussion a bit and take a more general look at how different cultures view these metaphors the thread title is now (slightly) different from the original one.

Thank you.


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## Mahaodeh

In Arabic, they use the same word for Caeser, Czar and Kaisar; all of it Qaisar قيصر and I don't know of any dialect that uses for anything other than the original meanings.

However, in Arabic they do use Pharaoh(Arabic فرعون = fir'aoun) as a discription for anyone that is a tyrant or any harsh, oppressive and unfair.


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## cherine

Miguelillo 87 said:


> Well I have to say that in Mexico we also have the "Zar antidrogas" obviously for the proximity to your country; Another kind of this words, well we use a lot Emperor but not for a person but hotels, restaurants ant issues like those


In Egypt, we use Emperor for a person. Usually with the meaning mentioned by Alexa:


alexacohen said:


> It is used here to refer to someone who has a lot of power and/or money.


and specially in the meaning of a dominator or a person having the monopoly or almost monopoly of something; for example: a "steel emperor" is an extremely wealthy businessman who has almost the monopoly of steel trade in the country.

I think the word was also used as equivalent or translation for lord/baron in the expression "drug lords". So we say: drug imperor.



Mahaodeh said:


> In Arabic, they use the same word for Caeser, Czar and Kaisar; all of it Qaisar قيصر and I don't know of any dialect that uses for anything other than the original meanings.


True. We only use the Arabic "Qaisar" for ceasars. It doesn't have a negative connotation in Arabic.


> However, in Arabic they do use Pharaoh (Arabic فرعون = fir'aoun) as a discription for anyone that is a tyrant or any harsh, oppressive and unfair.


This is a also true. When we call someone a pharaoh (pronounced "fara'on" in Egypt) it means that he's a tyrant. And we even have a saying: اللي تحسبه موسى يطلع فرعون : you thought he's Moses and it turned out he's Pharaoh = you thought he was a good person when in fact he's not.


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## Frank06

Hi,

As far as I know, we don't really use the word _tsaar_ (czar) outside the realm of Russian history/politics. Once in a while, Putin is referred to as the new czar (Tsaar Putin), but that's mainly in newspaper articles and in the blogosphere. _Tsaar_ is also sometimes used to refer to mafia leaders with Russian (or 10/15 years ago, ex-Soviet) connections.



			
				Miguelillo said:
			
		

> in Mexico we also have the "*Zar antidrogas*"


Oddly enough, I found some references to _tsaar_ _+ drugs_ in Dutch articles: both _anti-drugs tsaar _and _drugs tsaar_ (but a more common word for the latter would be _drugsbaron_).
_Caesar_ is mainly understood as a name in Dutch (by non-history buffs) and I cannot think of any metaphors involving this particular word/name.

_Keizer_ (see German Kaiser) is sometimes used, both in positive and negative sense. What comes to mind is the 'Keizer van Herentals' (the nickname of a famous Belgian cyclist), the 'Keizer van de lach' (sometimes used to refer to a famous and popular local comedian -- lach means laughter) and the 'Keizer van de weg' (CEO of a local company who bribed politicians -- weg means road).

_Keizersnede_ (sectio caesarea, Caesarean section) is commonly used in Dutch.

Groetjes,

Frank


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## Grop

Unlike Nanon I don't see it as a common metaphor in France (particularly when compared to _pacha_, _caïd_ or _baron_). I may be missing something. However good movies are awarded Césars. I am not sure it is meant as a metaphor, since César is a common name.


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## coppergirl

EmilyD said:


> This word, "tsar" also spelled "czar" and "csar", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar
> 
> is being used in the U.S. with great frequency (I think) to describe any appointed Authority.
> 
> My question is:
> *In your countries and cultures is this metaphor common?*
> I suspect few people in the U.S. have any sense of this word's history. Is its etymology well understood/appreciated where you live?
> 
> The most recent use of the term that I have seen is "Car czar"
> http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wa...ld_the_car_czar_be_too_poli.html?nav=rss_blog


 
Hi Emily,

I think I can reassure you that many Americans are aware of the word's history and etymology. At least, I hope that is the case, as I am speaking for myself and most of my friends but, as always, I'm never really sure how broadly representative my own view is. 

I would assume that anyone using these words in the US for writing, journalism, academics etc (which is where these words are most commonly used) would be very much aware of their origins and history. 

If you feel the word is being overused, I can only compare it with "guru" which, I feel, is similarly overused somewhat in journalism at the moment. 

Just my two cents.

PS This is a very interesting thread and I'm particularly pleased to learn about "Qaisar" from the Arabic.


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## sokol

There's another one for German: _Kaiser _= the same as _Caesar, Czar_, or Dutch _Keiser_: this is mainly used in a positive way, or at least this is true for Austria.


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## natasha2000

Considering that TZAR is a word very used in  Serbian for an emperor, it is very much used as metaphore for a great person. For example, if someone leaves a great impression on you (in a possitive way, of course), you can tell him he is a real tzar! 

"You're the best! You're a real tzar!"

PS: Tzarica is for female... meaning empress...


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## FYV

EmilyD said:


> The most recent use of the term that I have seen is "Car czar"


In Russia czar (царь) still means 'monarch' and never can be used like in 'car czar'. If only ironically


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## Nanon

Grop said:


> Unlike Nanon I don't see it as a common metaphor in France (particularly when compared to _pacha_, _caïd_ or _baron_). I may be missing something. However good movies are awarded Césars. I am not sure it is meant as a metaphor, since César is a common name.


 
The award is named after César Baldaccini, the sculptor who designed the trophy. It doesn't have much to do with Caesars, barons, or Pharaos...


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## ewie

Kevin Beach said:


> It has become a cliché here.


It sometimes feels like these people are appointed _just_ so they can be given a stupid title: _Drugs Tsar, Children's Tsar_, etc. etc. etc. ad nauseam.


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