whipping boy
English edit
Etymology edit
First recorded in 1647.
Noun edit
whipping boy (plural whipping boys)
- (historical) A boy that was whipped in the stead of a misbehaving prince.
- (transferred sense) Someone punished for the errors of others.
- Synonyms: scapegoat; see also Thesaurus:scapegoat
- Coordinate term: whipping girl
Translations edit
someone punished for the errors of others
|