rubber stamp
1. verb To approve of something without careful consideration of it. Please don't rubber stamp these applications—check each one thoroughly
2. noun One who approves of something without careful consideration of it. Oh, Joel is just a rubber stamp—I doubt he has strong feelings about this issue one way or another.
3. noun The act of approving something in such a manner. Who cares what that proposal actually says? It just needs a rubber stamp.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
rubber stamp
A person or organization that automatically approves or endorses a policy without assessing its merit; also, such an approval or endorsement. For example, The nominating committee is merely a rubber stamp; they approve anyone the chairman names , or The dean gave his rubber stamp to the recommendations of the tenure committee. This metaphoric term alludes to the rubber printing device used to imprint the same words over and over. [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.