lord of the flies

Etymology
, which in turn is a mistranslation of the name of the Semitic devil Baal-zevuv.

Noun

 * 1) Beelzebub; Satan
 * 2)  a ruler over a worthless kingdom; leader of a meaningless microcosm.

Usage notes
The phrase can also be used as an adjective to describe a situation where there is no government and crime is common. This usage is a reference to the book  and is usually capitalized.