| 释义 |
ˈwhipping-boy
A boy educated together with a young prince or royal personage, and flogged in his stead when he committed a fault that was considered to deserve flogging. Hence allusively.
1647Trapp Comm. 1 Tim. v. 20 Rebuke before all: yet not as if they were whipping boyes. a1715Burnet Own Time i. (1724) I. 59 William Murray of the bed-chamber, that had been whipping boy to King Charles the first. 1822Scott Nigel vi, Sir Mungo had been..attached to Court in the capacity of whipping-boy..to King James the Sixth. 1841Helps Ess., On Choice of Agents, The choice of agents is a difficult matter,..for you have to choose persons for whose faults you are to be punished; to whom you are to be the whipping-boy. 1914Petrie in Anc. Egypt 32 With some writers..Manetho is the whipping-boy, who must always be flogged whenever anything is not understood. |