On today's show we talk about an idiom involving fish and a pond . A pond is a small body of water . It is usually smaller than a lake . And our idiom today is “to be a big fish in a small pond .” For example , a high-performing high school student in a small town could be a big fish in a small pond . He may feel overly-confident or overly-important , or he may simply not know how small his “pond ” is -- until he moves on to a big university . He must compete with hundreds of students who were also the best at their high schools . His pond just got a much larger and is now filled with many more fish . Here is another example . A young singer was famous in her small town . She wanted to move to a big city to grow her singing career . Her close friends and family supported her but also warned her . Here in our small town , they said , you are a big fish in a small pond . Once you move to New York City , that is going to change . Best be ready ! For some people , this can be a painful realization – sometimes called a wake-up call . Sometimes when we use the expression “a big fish in a small pond ,” we add words to better describe the fish and the pond . For example , the singer's friends could say that she will be a very small but talented fish in a very big competitive pond . Now , some people like being a big fish in a small pond . They never grow their circle of friends or work environment . Sometimes they do not take opportunities that increase their environment , or pond . By staying in a small pond , it is safer . There are fewer dangers and also fewer competitors . The Meriam-Webster online dictionary says that the expression “big fish ” has been slang for an important or influential person since the early 1800s . The addition of “in a small pond ” -- to mean an unimportant organization -- is more recent . The dictionary goes on to explain another way to use the idiom “a big fish in a small pond .” It can also describe a situation in which one person has more power , influence , knowledge , or experience than others within a small group . So , sometimes we use this expression to describe people in an insulting way . We are saying that they want to stay in a small pond just to feel more important . Their position of authority is not questioned by the other fish in the pond .