flak catcher
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.94 in modern English
25
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A person whose job is to conduct public relations by shielding a more prominent person by intercepting and deflecting complaints and criticism.
Example Sentences
- "As the mau-mauing brigade heads downtown to the welfare office, they run into the chief flak catcher."
- "But as superintendent in charge of external relationships for the RCMP — image polisher and flak catcher — Edwards had learned to become patient and thick of skin."
- "We can't afford to go out there blind, hollering and acting the fool, and get to the table and don't know who it is we're talking to—or what we're going to ask them—whether it's someone with real power or just a third-string flak catcher.”"
Etymology
Coined by American author and journalist Tom Wolfe in his 1970 book Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers, from flak, meaning "criticism".