use someone as a cat's paw
Meaning: To get someone else to do one's dirty work.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The senator used a junior aide as a cat's paw to leak the report.”
Category: Animals
Origin: From the fable of the monkey that uses a cat's paw to pull roasted chestnuts out of the fire, burning the cat and keeping the chestnuts. The phrase is found in English from the 17th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Spanish: sacar el ascua con mano ajena — literally: to draw the hot coal with another's hand
More idioms — Animals
- play cat and mouse — To toy with someone one has power over.
- keep someone on a short leash — To keep someone under close control.
- rein someone in — To bring someone under control.
- smell a rat — To sense that something dishonest is going on.
- have a bee in one's bonnet — To be obsessed with one idea.
- when pigs fly — Never.
More English idioms
- look out for number one — To put one's own interests first.
- lose one's marbles — To go crazy.
- with only the clothes on one's back — With no possessions at all.
- well, I never! — An exclamation of surprise or disbelief.
- luck out — To have unexpected good luck.
- the heart of the matter — The most important part of an issue.