man of straw
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GC: n

S: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/jan/28/pinochet.chile1 (last access: 2 September 2014); NAVARRO.

N: 1. man of straw, plural men of straw (count) chiefly British: straw man.
2. straw man: a weak or imaginary argument or opponent that is set up to be easily defeated.

  • a weak or imaginary opposition (as an argument or adversary) set up only to be easily confuted.
  • a person set up to serve as a cover for a usually questionable transaction.

S: 1. http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/man%20of%20straw (last access: 2 September 2014). 2. MW – http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straw%20man (last access: 2 September 2014).

SYN: straw man, dummy.

S: NAVARRO; GDT.

CR: corruption