More trivia: origin of the wheel group

[Paul Robinson]

Adrian Wontroba wrote:

>I'm fairly sure that I knew the "big wheel" term meaning "someone of
>importance" in my youth in the 60's.
>
Should hope so as it pre-dates all of us.

>At the time, in Somerset (UK county) fairground Ferris Wheels where
>often known as "big wheels".
>

And had been known as such for some 100 years previously.

>I like this definition:
>
>http://www.foodreference.com/html/fbigwheelcheese.html
>
Sounds back-fitted to me. I had always understood it dated back to the 
Industrial Revolution - think water wheels as compared to small 
insignificant cogs in the workings of the factories at the time. There 
are a couple of things I do know for fact though:

1. All the references to it I can find agree that it dates to 18th/19th 
Century Britain
2. Nobody is 100% sure exactly where it came from
3. A lot of people think it was the basis for "wheeler dealer"

To me, by far the most realistic would be related to the power sources 
of factories, but to be honest, does it matter? :-)

-- 
Paul Robinson