Meaning Of Idiom ‘Friends In High Places’
To have friends in high places means to have friends who are in a position of authority who can help you get things you want; friends who can help or support one in important matters because they have an important position. 1Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms]. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.
‘Friends in high places’ are usually people who have high posts in a government or business. They may also be very wealthy people who have influence in governmental or business matters.
An older British variant is ‘friend at court’ (also a friend in court) which can be used with the same meaning as ‘friends in high places,’ i.e. someone in a position of authority who is willing to act on a friend’s behalf. 2Dolgopolov, Yuri. [http://amzn.to/2vBfotM A Dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations]. McFarland, 2010.
A humorous or sarcastic version of this idiom is ‘low friends in high places’ referring to important people with questionable morals, like those with leadership positions in a criminal enterprise.
Sentence Examples
“Just because you have friends in high places doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay your speeding ticket.”
“We all know you only got this job because you have friends in high places.”
“My father has friends in high places at the college so he says he can get me enrolled. But I don’t even want to go to college.”
“‘You have good friends,’ said Harment, ‘friends in high places, who interest themselves particularly in everything that concerns you.'” — The Regent’s Daughter, Alexandre Dumas, Louis Coualihac (1845)
“Don’t bother trying to get him fired. He has friends in high places.”
“I can easily get you in to see the governor. I have friends in high places.”
“It helps to have a friend at court in these matters.”
“You have a secret admirer, Starling. Isn’t much to look at, but he has friends in high places. Remember Mason Verger?” — Hannibal (2001)
“I still have some friends in high places. Favors called in. Some dollars spread about.” — Die Another Day (2002)
“All I know about Skip Carn is he’s a low-level hustler. A bottom-feeder with friends in high places.” — Brokedown Palace (1999)
“He knows every nook and cranny in this neighborhood. He’ll disappear He knows every nook and cranny in this neighborhood. He’ll disappear. He’s got friends in high places, and got friends in low places.” — Once Upon a Time in Venice (2017)
Origin
This idiom began as ‘friend at court’ during the 1400s, referring to the British monarchy. The variation ‘friends in high places’ came about after the decline of the monarchy and has now come into more common use. High places figuratively refers to high levels of government, an organization, etc. 3Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
