Definition of the word fall guy

The phrase "fall guy" originally referred to a figure in a traditional English holiday celebration called the "H Mock Farce." This elaborate prank involved two groups of neighbors attempting to capture each other's leader, or "king." The "fall guy" in this context was the unwilling, scapegoat participant appointed to take the blame for the king's capture, often by wearing a ridiculous outfit or being smeared with ridiculously farcical materials such as soot and flour. The expression later became associated with criminal activity in the late 1800s, as reported in American newspapers. In this sense, a "fall guy" was a person who willingly took the fall for a more powerful figure's misdeeds, usually in exchange for a reduced sentence. The term gained wide usage in popular culture and has since been employed more generally to refer to anyone who suffers blame, loss, or disadvantage in place of others.