Aunt Sally

American  

noun

Chiefly British.

1. a person who is a ready target for criticism or focus for disputation.

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Aunt Sally British  

/ ˈsælɪ /

noun

1. a figure of an old woman's head, typically with a clay pipe, used in fairgrounds and fêtes as a target for balls or other objects

2. any person who is a target for insults or criticism

3. something set up as a target for disagreement or attack

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Etymology

Origin of Aunt Sally

First recorded in 1860–65; so called from the figure used as a target at fairs

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Aunt Sally

Let’s say you want to give Aunt Sally a gift card to a clothing store.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 30, 2022

Now realize, following Aunt Sally is purely a matter of convention.

From New York Times ● Aug. 2, 2019

Arthur Taylor, author of Played at the Pub, suggests Aunt Sally - which is played in Oxfordshire and parts of Buckinghamshire - has rather grisly origins.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2017

In 1945's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," for instance, Blondell gives a lively but rounded and modulated performance as uninhibited but caring Aunt Sally in Elia Kazan’s naturalistic feature debut.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2016

Aunt Sally must needs first see her son, and after the fondest of greetings, cautiously consign to him the care of her personal outfit.

From Jessica Trent: Her Life on a Ranch by Raymond, Evelyn