What is Straw Dog?
1.
In business, something (an idea, or plan, usually) set up to be knocked down. It's the dangerous philosophy of presenting one mediocre idea, so that the listener will make the choice of the better idea which follows.
It backfires with some frequency, as the listener (out of sheer perversity) will insist on the straw dog.
2.
Something that is made only to be destroyed.
The doll, like a straw dog, was made for the sole purpose of being destroyed.
See
3.
A scientific research dog
Beagles used to train surgeons and veterinarians to operate on people and other people's dogs are straw dogs. Victims of vivisection, straw dogs are often euthanized after their usefulness has transpired.
See
4.
a straw dog is a scapegoat group, place, person or idea in which we dump our evilness, so we can blame it and then by attacking, dissing or destorying it, we externalize it outside of us so we feel free of sin.
America often uses an 'out group' as a straw dog, such as Communists, terrorists, labor unions, gays, in order to deflect attention from the bad things we're doing, such as exploiting the environment or third world labor.
See
5.
a word that you interject anytime that you don't know what word to use, but want to make it sound like you're smart.
I listened to that speech on nuclear physics, but the guys whole theory seemed like a straw dog compared to other theorys.
See
