dragon lady

derogatory slang (sometimes capitalized) A woman who is or is seen to be ruthlessly powerful, domineering, or manipulative. Named for the villainess in the comic strip Terry and the Pirates (1934–46), who was known for such traits. Outside of work, we call her the Dragon Lady for the way she bullies anyone and everyone who is lower than her on the corporate ladder. My uncle is married to a real dragon lady—all she does is yell at him and boss him around.

dragon lady

A domineering or belligerent woman, as in They called her the neighborhood dragon lady-she was always yelling at the children. This slangy term was originally the name of a villainous Asian woman in Milton Caniff's popular cartoon strip Terry and the Pirates (1934-1973), which ran in many newspapers. It was transferred to more general use in the mid-1900s.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Mostafa	-	Arabic
Nissa	-	Hebrew
Augustyn	ow-GUWS-tin	Polish
Rodolfito	-	Spanish
Hadassah	-	Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Elam	EE-ləm (English)	Biblical