fall guy
A scapegoat; someone who takes the "fall" (consequences) for someone else. The jurors didn't believe that Mike actually murdered the victim. They felt that he was set up by his brother as a fall guy. My partner had been falsifying our company's financial records for years, but who was the fall guy when the business collapsed? Me. No, I'm going to be the fall guy this time when another one of your stupid schemes blows up in your face!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
fall guy
1. A scapegoat, one who is blamed for the actions of others. For example,
He refused to be the fall guy for his colleagues. This expression uses
fall in the sense of "consequences" or "blame," which originated in prison slang. [
Slang; early 1900s] Also see
take the fall.
2. An easy victim, one who is readily duped. For example, His friends had marked him as the fall guy-they knew he would believe their ruse. [Slang; early 1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
fall guy
n. a victim; a dupe; the guy who takes the fall. (Originally underworld.) I didn’t want to be the fall guy, so I sat out the last job.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.