Noun
big fish in a small pond (plural big fish in small ponds)
(idiomatic) One who has achieved a high rank or is highly esteemed, but only in a small, relatively unimportant, or little known location or organization.
Synonyms: big fish in a little pond, (vulgar slang) King Shit of Fuck Mountain
Antonym: small fish in a big pond
Dr. Jones could get a professorship at an Ivy League university, but he enjoys being a big fish in a small pond too much to ever leave Hannover College.
In England, David and I are big fish in a small pond. But in L.A., we are tiny, tiny, tiny fish in a big pond. Victoria Beckham
I like being a big fish in a small pond. I'm not interested in a huge audience because it brings headaches. Nick Lowe
I tell aspiring entrepreneurs all the time: Validate your idea locally. Get some experience under your belt. Prove your idea has legs where you are. Spend some time as a big fish in a small pond. Demonstrate that there's a there there... there. Where you live. Marc Randolph