A Cog in the Machine.
English
idiom
A small, unimportant part of a big organization.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
A small, unimportant part of a big organization.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
A small, unimportant part of a big organization.
A cog is a toothed wheel inside a machine — needed for the thing to turn, but easy to replace.
Calling yourself a cog in the machine means your work matters but you feel easy to replace.
"A Drop in the Bucket"
—
A contribution too small to make a difference
"A Small Fish in a Big Pond"
—
Someone not important among far more powerful people
"A Cog in the Machine"
—
A part of a large organization that is easy to replace
How's the new job going?
Fine, but I'm a cog in the machine there.
Nobody wants to be a cog in the machine.
True. People stay where their work is visible.
Does our team's work go anywhere?
It does — I'll show you, so you don't feel like a cog in the machine.
