Sir Hum ‧ phrey /sə ˈhʌmfri $ sər-/ BrE AmE
a name used, especially in newspapers, for a typical British ↑ civil servant (=someone who works for a government minister, but who is not a politician) of high rank. The name is based on a character called Sir Humphrey Appleby, in the humorous British television programme Yes, Minister , who uses clever and dishonest methods to make sure that his minister always does what Sir Humphrey wants.