Big Fish in a Little Pond
Definition : Somebody who is only important because their environment is small.
I grew up in a very small town and went to a small school of only 100 students. At School I was one of the cleverest students.
When a teacher asked a questions in class I would always be the one to answer it first. In my youthful innocence, I thought that perhaps I was one of the most intelligent people in the world. For years I was top in exams and was one of the teacher's favorite pupil. I got good grades and went to a big university. The first day in class the teacher asked a question that I didn't know the answer to. I thought that no body could possibly know the answer to such a difficult question, but somebody answered it quickly. Our first test was also difficult. When I went to get the results I thought that I would be first as I always had been in my small school. I was last! It was then I realized that, in my hometown, I had just been a big fish in a little pond.