Charlie McCarthy

noun

Charlie Mc·​Car·​thy
-kȧ|,
|thi also |tē or |tē or -i
plural Charlie McCarthys
: one under the complete domination of another often while enjoying apparent independence : stooge, yes-man, dummy
uses him as a Charlie McCarthy to prove that even a schoolboy can see through the fallacious arithmetic of the oppositionElmer Davis

Word History

Etymology

after Charlie McCarthy, ventriloquist's dummy made famous by Edgar Bergen born 1903 American ventriloquist & comedian

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Cite this Entry

“Charlie McCarthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Charlie%20McCarthy. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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