office dragon lady; bossy senior female employee
Colloquial, often derogatory term for a long-tenured woman in a workplace who bosses around younger or junior colleagues. Derived from the historical term 御局 (おつぼね) for a high-ranking court lady.
See also: 御局
You'd better not cross that office dragon lady in that department.
She's become a real bossy senior, treating the new hires harshly.
Standard kanji-kana spelling; the most common written form.
Variant with さま in kana; slightly softer or more casual appearance.
From 御局 (おつぼね, 'court lady') + honorific 様 (さま). Originally referred to a senior female servant in the imperial court or a noble household; the modern slang sense developed from the image of a bossy, long-serving woman in a workplace.