whipping boy

American  

noun

1. a person who is made to bear the blame for another's mistake; scapegoat.

2. (formerly) a boy educated along with and taking punishment in place of a young prince or nobleman.

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whipping boy British  

noun

1. a person of little importance who is blamed for the errors, incompetence, etc, of others, esp his superiors; scapegoat

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whipping boy Idioms  

1. A scapegoat, as in This department's always been the whipping boy when things don't go well. This expression alludes to the former practice of keeping a boy to be whipped in place of a prince who was to be punished. [Early 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of whipping boy

First recorded in 1640–50

Example Sentences

The Wildlife Conservation Society, which would become an online whipping boy during the Flaco year, has noble origins.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2025

So over time, the kid from St. Louis — the one who grew up dreaming of playing for the Tigers — became the whipping boy of fans pining for their program to return to prominence.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 17, 2023

So over time, the kid from St. Louis - the one who grew up dreaming of playing for the Tigers - became the whipping boy of fans pining for their program to return to prominence.

From Washington Times • Sep. 17, 2023

“Manson has always been someone’s whipping boy or source of revenue from television to newspapers all his life, so I know it is hard for anyone to understand, but I never wanted anything from him.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 27, 2022

Jackie was no sycophant or whipping boy, as he’s been described by other writers.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• fall guy
• patsy
• scapegoat