cat paw

Soft furry foot

A cat paw is a person used by another to accomplish something risky or unpleasant—someone who does the dirty work while the manipulator stays safe.

The term comes from a fable in which a monkey uses a cat's paw to pull chestnuts from a fire.

Also spelled cat's paw or catspaw.

He was just a cat paw for the real criminals.

Related

murder mittensSlang for cat claws
padCushioned writing surface
toe beansCushioned undersides of paws
toeFoot's small digit
beansEdible pod seeds

scratch · knead · making biscuits · swat · velvet · retractable · declawed · footprint · fur · whiskers · biscuits · batting · gentle · gentle touch · soft · reach · tap · playful

Categories

paws
animal feetclaws, claw, hoof, hooves, talons
knotsreef knot, bowline, figure-eight knot, clove hitch, figure eight knot
clawsclaw, talons, talon, pincers, pincer
grippersclaw, claws, pincer, pincers, gripper
limbsarm, leg, foreleg, forelimb, hind leg

Opposites

anatomy/animal body part

cat pawdog paw

Foot of a canine

hoof · horse hoof · claw · talon · flipper

agency/manipulation (idiom)

cat pawmastermind

Scheme's chief planner

puppet master · manipulator · puppeteer · orchestrator · schemer

nautical (knot/wind)

cat pawgale

Severe sustained wind

squall · dead calm · strong breeze

Family

cat, paw, cats, paws, catlike, catty, pawed, pawing

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G