Why does everyone talk about the "Big 4" as if to imply that they're the "Top 4" or "Best 4" or something? They're just big accountancy firms. Many IT firms with consultancy offerings are far bigger, but they don't get called the "Big 4" even though the "consultancy" they do is just as valid as the "consultancy" the "Big 4" do. So what's the thinking behind this emotive expression?

Shorthand

easy son. Its just a name. Do you think the 'Magic Circle' of law firms are really magical? Its just a way to group similar companies. Chill out, I'm sure that accenture or IBM or whoever you work for are just as good. Well, not quite as good. But close.

Because they are the 4 biggest accountancy firms. Probably the top ones too globally. It's just their historical grouping - like Ivy League or Magical circle as mentioned. Don't get upset, I'm sure IBM / ACN are the Big 2 of the Middle grade, large SIs in some places! ;0)

They're the big 4 accounting firms, not the big 4 consulting firms. That's what MBBB represents.

FYI people regularly are referring to Acn when talking about Big 4 firms in relation to consulting and they aren't necessarily worse than the bean counters in terms of prestige or whatever.

I think the "Big 4" accounting firms are getting more prestige than they deserve. People seem to be thinking that they're at the top of the consulting hierarchy, when in fact they're just big accountancy firms.

are the buildings in the Ivy league universities actually covered in ivy?

Good point.However, in the spirit of what the term is trying to imply, I think that from now on I will refer to them as the "Magnificent 4".

I thought it was the Fat Four.

Fat Four are the guys who run them. Aren't they the Advisory Four to their lawyers and the Consulting Four to their clients??