man of straw

noun

1. straw man.

man of straw

noun

1. a person of little substance
2. Also calledstraw 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

Example Sentences

Suppose this man-of-straw, Dingle, gets a judgment and his paltry damages are paidwhat then?

From Project Gutenberg

He merely used it as an academic man-of-straw to play at foils with.

From Project Gutenberg