an important or self-important person
Here’s another word that I saw in a New Yorker article: “And since three of the panjandrums are played by women, it accidentally becomes a kind of Freudian nightmare.” The etymology (from American Heritage Dictionary) is pretty cool: “After the Grand Panjandrum, a character in a nonsense farrago written by Samuel Foote (1720–1777).” Can you guess what tomorrow’s word of the day is going to be?
Can’t imagine, nor can I imagine using today’s in tomorrow’s conversation with anyone – except maybe you.