美语词汇掌故第 2 课：Fall Guys / Bum Rap-1

Every week at this time, the Voice of America tells about popular words and expressions used in the United States.

Some expressions have made a jump from sports events to everyday life.

One such expression is "fall guy". A fall guy is the person who someone decides will be the loser, or victim.

The first fall guys were men who wrestled for money.

At the end of the nineteenth century, wrestling was a very popular sport in the United States.

Wrestling competitions were held not only in big cities, but also at country fairs, and travelling shows.

As the sport became more popular, it became less and less of a sport.

Many of the matches were fixed. The wrestlers knew before the match, which one of them would be the winner.

The goal in wrestling is to hold your opponent shoulders down against the floor.

This is called a fall. Sometimes, one of the wrestlers would be paid before the match to "take the fall".

He would agree to be the loser, the fall guy.

Today, a fall guy is anyone who is talked or tricked into taking the blame for the crime or wrongdoing of someone else.