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

Toyota’s faith in democratizing hybrid technology turned the company, once an environmental darling, into a whipping boy as it was widely accused of foot-dragging over electric vehicles.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2024

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

Greg, on the other hand, is a tool – frequently a whipping boy, sometimes a human shield, lately a corporate guillotine.

From Salon • May 15, 2023

Instead, Sen. Nancy Skinner had to file Senate Bill 206 five years later, outfoxing higher education leaders everywhere, not just Emmert, their whipping boy.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2022

He glared icily at the whipping boy who had seized his royal title.

From "The Whipping Boy" by Sid Fleischman

Related Words

• fall guy
• patsy
• scapegoat