idioms meaning "to be in charge, to give the orders"

[Olenek]

Hi everybody,

I've found two idioms with the sense "to be in charge, to give the orders":

To run the show,
To call the tune/ shots (from the expression: He who pays the piper calls the tune (19th c.)

Are these phrases common in your country? Or do you use other idioms with the same sense?

Many Thanks!

[riquecohen]

Hi everybody,

I've found two idioms with the sense "to be in charge, to give the orders":

To run the show,
To call the tune/ shots (from the expression: He who pays the piper calls the tune (19th c.)

Are these phrases common in your country? Or do you use other idioms with the same sense?

Many Thanks!

These are all frequently heard in AmE. The person in charge is often called the "top dog."

[5jj]

To run the show,
To call the tune/ shots

For me, neither necessarily means 'the person in charge'. They mean 'the person who actually controls things' -who may, of course, be the person in charge. Compare:

The headteacher is Dr Jobsworth, but it's his deputy who runs the show.
The new headteacher runs the show rather more efficiently than his predecessor.