fall guy
noun Slang.
an easy victim.
a scapegoat.
Origin of fall guy
An Americanism dating back to 1905–10
Words nearby fall guy
fall down,
fall flat,
fall for,
fall from grace,
fall front,
fall guy,
fall in,
fall in line,
fall in love,
fall in place,
fall in with
British Dictionary definitions for fall guy
fall guy
noun informal
a person who is the victim of a confidence trick
a scapegoat
Idioms and Phrases with fall guy
fall guy
A scapegoat, one who is blamed for the actions of others. For example, He refused to be the fall guy for his colleagues. This expression uses fall in the sense of “consequences” or “blame,” which originated in prison slang. [Slang; early 1900s] Also see take the fall.
An easy victim, one who is readily duped. For example, His friends had marked him as the fall guy—they knew he would believe their ruse. [Slang; early 1900s]