homem de palha

Portuguese

Etymology

From homem (“man”) +‎ de (“of”) +‎ palha (“straw”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈõ.mẽj̃ d͡ʒi ˈpa.ʎɐ/ [ˈõ.mẽɪ̯̃ d͡ʒi ˈpa.ʎɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈõ.mẽj̃ d͡ʒi ˈpa.ʎɐ/ [ˈõ.mẽɪ̯̃ d͡ʒi ˈpa.ʎɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈo.mẽj̃ de ˈpa.ʎa/ [ˈo.mẽɪ̯̃ de ˈpa.ʎa]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈo.mɐ̃j̃ dɨ ˈpa.ʎɐ/

• Hyphenation: ho‧mem‧de‧pa‧lha

Noun

homem de palha m (plural homens de palha)

1. front man, straw man

   Synonyms: testa de ferro, (Brazil) laranja, títere

2. (derogatory) Physically or morally weak or worthless man.

Further reading

• “homem de palha”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025
• “homem de palha”, in iDicionário Aulete (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025