whipping boy
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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
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