play second fiddle

verb

Etymology

From the second violin in an orchestra.

Definitions

  1. To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.

    • She had been mistress of the farm so long that it would be hard for her to play second fiddle, but give her time and she'd be as good as new butter and as nice as ninepence, he said.

The neighborhood

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sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA