man of straw

noun

1. straw man.

man of straw

noun

1. a person of little substance

2. Also called: straw man. a person used as a cover for some dubious plan or enterprise; front man

3. a man who cannot be relied upon to honour his financial commitments, esp because of his limited resources

Word History and Origins

Origin of man of straw¹

First recorded in 1615–25