whipping boy
Definition
Noun: - A person who is blamed or punished for the mistakes or sins of others: A "whipping boy" is a scapegoat; someone who is made to bear the blame or suffer the consequences for the faults of another person or group.
Usage
The term is used to describe an individual singled out to take undeserved punishment or criticism. It often implies a power imbalance, where the true culprits avoid responsibility.
Examples
- Noun:
- The junior manager became the whipping boy for the project's failure, even though the decisions were made by senior leadership.
- In politics, the minister served as the whipping boy for the administration's unpopular policies.
Advanced Usage
- Historical Context: Historically, a whipping boy was a young boy assigned to a royal prince to be punished in the prince's stead, as it was forbidden to strike the heir to the throne. The modern figurative use stems from this practice.
- The concept of a whipping boy dates back to European monarchies.
Variants and Related Words
- Scapegoat (n): A person or group made to bear the blame for others. This is a very close synonym.
- She was made the scapegoat for the data breach.
Synonyms
- Fall guy: A person who is left to take the blame.
- Patsy: A person who is easily taken advantage of, especially in bearing blame.
- Sacrificial lamb: Someone sacrificed for the benefit of others.
Related Idioms
- To take the fall (for someone): To accept punishment or blame for something someone else did.
- He agreed to take the fall for his boss's mistake.
Noun
-
someone who is punished for the errors of others
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