man of straw

American  

noun

1. straw man.

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man of straw British  

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

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Etymology

Origin of man of straw

First recorded in 1615–25

Example Sentences

“I am but a man of straw, Arthur,” he said.

From Literature

At the hearing today, Mr Justice Moor criticised the couple and said Mr Young was "hiding the truth" and was not "a penniless man of straw with huge debts".

From BBC

I am so unwilling you should think me here fighting a mere man of straw who has been arranged with a view to the convenience of knocking him down, and I find such mournful evidences of the complete misconception of form, of literary science in our literature, that, with a reluctance which every one will understand, I am going to draw upon a personal experience, to show the extent of that misconception.

From Project Gutenberg

He has apartments in the Castle--is hand and glove with Secretary Cooke; through him we may be able to tamper with the soldiery, turning the arms of Government against itself, for the town-major is no man of straw.'

From Project Gutenberg

In doing so he is indulging in the time-honoured ploy of setting up a man of straw.

From The Guardian