sock puppet

See also: sockpuppet

English

A physical sock puppet (1).

Alternative forms

• sockpuppet

Pronunciation

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

sock puppet (plural sock puppets)

1. A puppet made from a sock placed over a hand.
2. Synonym of puppet: A person completely controlled by another.
3. (Internet, derogatory) An alternative pseudonymous online account, especially one used for abuse.

   Synonyms: sock, smurf account

   • 2009, Andrew Lih, The Wikipedia Revolution, page 303:

     Trying to prove that a new user is simply a previous user in a new sock puppet is quite hard for the ordinary user and even administrators.

   • 2014, Timothy R. Levine, Encyclopedia of Deception, Vol. II, s.v. Sockpuppetry:

     The Internet has created many opportunities for online voting. Unscrupulous people will create sock puppets in order to stuff online ballot boxes. In other cases, a sock puppeteer may create multiple identities to support arguments, voice opinions, or otherwise create the online illusion that may people support the sock puppeteer. This practice is called a "Sybil attack" […]

Derived terms

• meat puppet
• sock puppeteer
• sockpuppetry

Translations

simple puppet made from a sock

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 襪公仔／袜公仔 (mat⁶ gung¹ zai²)

  Mandarin: 襪子木偶／袜子木偶 (wàzi mù'ǒu)

• Danish: sokkedukke
• Dutch: sokpop (nl) f
• Finnish: käsinukke (fi)
• French: poupée de chiffon f, marionnette (fr) f
• German: Sockenpuppe (de) f
• Hebrew: בֻּבַּת גֶּרֶב f (bubát gérev)
• Hungarian: zoknibáb (hu)
• Icelandic: sokkabrúða
• Japanese: 靴下人形 (くつしたにんぎょう, kutsushita ningyō)
• Norwegian: sokkedukke
• Portuguese: fantoche de meia m
• Russian: ку́кла-петру́шка f (kúkla-petrúška), марионе́тка (ru) f (marionétka), ку́кла из носка́ f (kúkla iz noská)
• Serbo-Croatian: čarapko
• Spanish: marioneta de calcetín f, títere de mano m
• Swedish: strumpdocka (sv) c

second account created by a user in an online community

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 馬甲／马甲 (zh) (mǎjiǎ)

• Dutch: sockpuppet (nl) m, sokpop (nl) f
• Finnish: sukkanukke (fi)
• French: faux-nez (fr) m, marionnette (fr) f
• German: Sockenpuppe (de) f
• Hebrew: בֻּבַּת קַשׁ f (bubát qash)
• Italian: fantoccio (it) m
• Japanese: ソックパペット (sokkupapetto)
• Polish: pacynka (pl) f
• Portuguese: fantoche (pt) m
• Russian: марионе́тка (ru) f (marionétka)
• Spanish: usuario títere
• Vietnamese: rối (vi), con rối (vi)

Verb

sock puppet (third-person singular simple present sock puppets, present participle sock puppeting, simple past and past participle sock puppeted)

1. (Wikimedia jargon) To create or use a sock puppet (alternative user account).

Further reading

• sock puppet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• internet sock puppet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia