playing the man
Attacking the arguer
Playing the man means attacking the person making an argument rather than addressing the argument itself—a rhetorical move also called ad hominem.
Instead of responding to her evidence, he started playing the man, questioning her credentials.
The phrase comes from sports, where playing the man means tackling the opponent rather than going for the ball.
- ad hominemArgument targeting character
- sledgingSliding downhill on snow
- unsportsmanlike conductRule-breaking competitive behavior
- gamesmanshipWinning without cheating outright
- dirty tacticsUnscrupulous competitive methods
gaslighting · mind games · trash talk · personal attacks · going for the jugular · fouling · cheating · low blow · projection · straw man · retaliation · taunting · poisoning the well · smear campaign · psychological warfare · appeal to emotion · manipulation · bad faith argument
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