Are “straw man†and “scarecrow†interchangeable when referring to the humanoid?
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The humanoid in question is the following object:
It's basically a straw man used to scare crow. So I think both straw man and scarecrow are valid names for it. However, the dictionary says straw man also has another meaning:
someone, often an imaginary person, who is used to hide an illegal or secret activity
I think this meaning has nothing to do with scaring crow, but I'm wondering, with the existence of this additional meaning, if these two words are still interchangeable when referring to the humanoid without causing ambiguity.
word-usage usage
edited Aug 21 at 16:44
userr2684291
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asked Aug 21 at 3:12
Cyker
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up vote
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The humanoid in question is the following object:
It's basically a straw man used to scare crow. So I think both straw man and scarecrow are valid names for it. However, the dictionary says straw man also has another meaning:
someone, often an imaginary person, who is used to hide an illegal or secret activity
I think this meaning has nothing to do with scaring crow, but I'm wondering, with the existence of this additional meaning, if these two words are still interchangeable when referring to the humanoid without causing ambiguity.
word-usage usage
edited Aug 21 at 16:44
userr2684291
2,48221431
asked Aug 21 at 3:12
Cyker
269210
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
The humanoid in question is the following object:
It's basically a straw man used to scare crow. So I think both straw man and scarecrow are valid names for it. However, the dictionary says straw man also has another meaning:
someone, often an imaginary person, who is used to hide an illegal or secret activity
I think this meaning has nothing to do with scaring crow, but I'm wondering, with the existence of this additional meaning, if these two words are still interchangeable when referring to the humanoid without causing ambiguity.
word-usage usage
edited Aug 21 at 16:44
userr2684291
2,48221431
asked Aug 21 at 3:12
Cyker
269210
The humanoid in question is the following object:
It's basically a straw man used to scare crow. So I think both straw man and scarecrow are valid names for it. However, the dictionary says straw man also has another meaning:
someone, often an imaginary person, who is used to hide an illegal or secret activity
I think this meaning has nothing to do with scaring crow, but I'm wondering, with the existence of this additional meaning, if these two words are still interchangeable when referring to the humanoid without causing ambiguity.
word-usage usage
edited Aug 21 at 16:44
userr2684291
2,48221431
asked Aug 21 at 3:12
Cyker
269210
edited Aug 21 at 16:44
userr2684291
2,48221431
edited Aug 21 at 16:44
userr2684291
2,48221431
edited Aug 21 at 16:44
userr2684291
2,48221431
2,48221431
asked Aug 21 at 3:12
Cyker
269210
asked Aug 21 at 3:12
Cyker
269210
asked Aug 21 at 3:12
Cyker
269210
269210
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
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In US English, the humanoid objects in the picture are only ever called scarecrows. The term straw man is only ever used in a metaphorical sense. If you said, "There was a straw man standing in the cornfield", it would be perfectly understandable, because there is obviously not an imaginary person in the cornfield, but it is not the normal way to say it.
answered Aug 21 at 3:45
stangdon
23.8k33558
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The physical objects, put in fields, are pretty much only called "scarecrows".
Straw man is nearly exclusively used as a phrase in argumentation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man
"A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent.[1] One who engages in this fallacy is said to be "attacking a straw man."
Which might make you think it would be interchangeable with scarecrow, but... it's not. Perhaps because this abstract usage has become so prevalent?
Furthermore, straw in isolation--as I've heard it--is generally used "nowadays" only for the drinking straw. Laypeople would probably call farming-grass-substances "hay", unaware of the finer points of distinction (provided below in comments).
answered Aug 21 at 4:29
HostileFork
3,052412
Straw is hay with the seeds removed, eg to make bread. They are not the same thing. You wouldn't want to use hay as garden mulch, unless you want to be growing random seed crops next year ;)
– Tetsujin
Aug 21 at 6:44
Straw is the dead stalks of cereal crops that have been harvested and does not contain much nutrition for use as animal feed. Straw has other uses such as bedding for animals.Hay is the stalks and leaves of grasses and other herbaceous plants such as clover that have been harvested when the stalk is growing. This means that hay contains nutrients that can be used as animal feed as has been said hay and straw are not the same thing.
– Sarriesfan
Aug 21 at 9:45
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
accepted
In US English, the humanoid objects in the picture are only ever called scarecrows. The term straw man is only ever used in a metaphorical sense. If you said, "There was a straw man standing in the cornfield", it would be perfectly understandable, because there is obviously not an imaginary person in the cornfield, but it is not the normal way to say it.
answered Aug 21 at 3:45
stangdon
23.8k33558
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
accepted
In US English, the humanoid objects in the picture are only ever called scarecrows. The term straw man is only ever used in a metaphorical sense. If you said, "There was a straw man standing in the cornfield", it would be perfectly understandable, because there is obviously not an imaginary person in the cornfield, but it is not the normal way to say it.
answered Aug 21 at 3:45
stangdon
23.8k33558
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
accepted
up vote
4
down vote
accepted
In US English, the humanoid objects in the picture are only ever called scarecrows. The term straw man is only ever used in a metaphorical sense. If you said, "There was a straw man standing in the cornfield", it would be perfectly understandable, because there is obviously not an imaginary person in the cornfield, but it is not the normal way to say it.
answered Aug 21 at 3:45
stangdon
23.8k33558
In US English, the humanoid objects in the picture are only ever called scarecrows. The term straw man is only ever used in a metaphorical sense. If you said, "There was a straw man standing in the cornfield", it would be perfectly understandable, because there is obviously not an imaginary person in the cornfield, but it is not the normal way to say it.
answered Aug 21 at 3:45
stangdon
23.8k33558
answered Aug 21 at 3:45
stangdon
23.8k33558
answered Aug 21 at 3:45
stangdon
23.8k33558
answered Aug 21 at 3:45
stangdon
23.8k33558
23.8k33558
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
The physical objects, put in fields, are pretty much only called "scarecrows".
Straw man is nearly exclusively used as a phrase in argumentation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man
"A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent.[1] One who engages in this fallacy is said to be "attacking a straw man."
Which might make you think it would be interchangeable with scarecrow, but... it's not. Perhaps because this abstract usage has become so prevalent?
Furthermore, straw in isolation--as I've heard it--is generally used "nowadays" only for the drinking straw. Laypeople would probably call farming-grass-substances "hay", unaware of the finer points of distinction (provided below in comments).
answered Aug 21 at 4:29
HostileFork
3,052412
Straw is hay with the seeds removed, eg to make bread. They are not the same thing. You wouldn't want to use hay as garden mulch, unless you want to be growing random seed crops next year ;)
– Tetsujin
Aug 21 at 6:44
Straw is the dead stalks of cereal crops that have been harvested and does not contain much nutrition for use as animal feed. Straw has other uses such as bedding for animals.Hay is the stalks and leaves of grasses and other herbaceous plants such as clover that have been harvested when the stalk is growing. This means that hay contains nutrients that can be used as animal feed as has been said hay and straw are not the same thing.
– Sarriesfan
Aug 21 at 9:45
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
The physical objects, put in fields, are pretty much only called "scarecrows".
Straw man is nearly exclusively used as a phrase in argumentation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man
"A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent.[1] One who engages in this fallacy is said to be "attacking a straw man."
Which might make you think it would be interchangeable with scarecrow, but... it's not. Perhaps because this abstract usage has become so prevalent?
Furthermore, straw in isolation--as I've heard it--is generally used "nowadays" only for the drinking straw. Laypeople would probably call farming-grass-substances "hay", unaware of the finer points of distinction (provided below in comments).
answered Aug 21 at 4:29
HostileFork
3,052412
Straw is hay with the seeds removed, eg to make bread. They are not the same thing. You wouldn't want to use hay as garden mulch, unless you want to be growing random seed crops next year ;)
– Tetsujin
Aug 21 at 6:44
Straw is the dead stalks of cereal crops that have been harvested and does not contain much nutrition for use as animal feed. Straw has other uses such as bedding for animals.Hay is the stalks and leaves of grasses and other herbaceous plants such as clover that have been harvested when the stalk is growing. This means that hay contains nutrients that can be used as animal feed as has been said hay and straw are not the same thing.
– Sarriesfan
Aug 21 at 9:45
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
up vote
4
down vote
The physical objects, put in fields, are pretty much only called "scarecrows".
Straw man is nearly exclusively used as a phrase in argumentation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man
"A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent.[1] One who engages in this fallacy is said to be "attacking a straw man."
Which might make you think it would be interchangeable with scarecrow, but... it's not. Perhaps because this abstract usage has become so prevalent?
Furthermore, straw in isolation--as I've heard it--is generally used "nowadays" only for the drinking straw. Laypeople would probably call farming-grass-substances "hay", unaware of the finer points of distinction (provided below in comments).
answered Aug 21 at 4:29
HostileFork
3,052412
The physical objects, put in fields, are pretty much only called "scarecrows".
Straw man is nearly exclusively used as a phrase in argumentation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man
"A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent.[1] One who engages in this fallacy is said to be "attacking a straw man."
Which might make you think it would be interchangeable with scarecrow, but... it's not. Perhaps because this abstract usage has become so prevalent?
Furthermore, straw in isolation--as I've heard it--is generally used "nowadays" only for the drinking straw. Laypeople would probably call farming-grass-substances "hay", unaware of the finer points of distinction (provided below in comments).
answered Aug 21 at 4:29
HostileFork
3,052412
edited Aug 21 at 17:38
answered Aug 21 at 4:29
HostileFork
3,052412
answered Aug 21 at 4:29
HostileFork
3,052412
answered Aug 21 at 4:29
HostileFork
3,052412
3,052412
Straw is hay with the seeds removed, eg to make bread. They are not the same thing. You wouldn't want to use hay as garden mulch, unless you want to be growing random seed crops next year ;)
– Tetsujin
Aug 21 at 6:44
Straw is the dead stalks of cereal crops that have been harvested and does not contain much nutrition for use as animal feed. Straw has other uses such as bedding for animals.Hay is the stalks and leaves of grasses and other herbaceous plants such as clover that have been harvested when the stalk is growing. This means that hay contains nutrients that can be used as animal feed as has been said hay and straw are not the same thing.
– Sarriesfan
Aug 21 at 9:45
add a comment |Â
Straw is hay with the seeds removed, eg to make bread. They are not the same thing. You wouldn't want to use hay as garden mulch, unless you want to be growing random seed crops next year ;)
– Tetsujin
Aug 21 at 6:44
Straw is the dead stalks of cereal crops that have been harvested and does not contain much nutrition for use as animal feed. Straw has other uses such as bedding for animals.Hay is the stalks and leaves of grasses and other herbaceous plants such as clover that have been harvested when the stalk is growing. This means that hay contains nutrients that can be used as animal feed as has been said hay and straw are not the same thing.
– Sarriesfan
Aug 21 at 9:45
Straw is hay with the seeds removed, eg to make bread. They are not the same thing. You wouldn't want to use hay as garden mulch, unless you want to be growing random seed crops next year ;)
– Tetsujin
Aug 21 at 6:44
Straw is hay with the seeds removed, eg to make bread. They are not the same thing. You wouldn't want to use hay as garden mulch, unless you want to be growing random seed crops next year ;)
– Tetsujin
Aug 21 at 6:44
Straw is the dead stalks of cereal crops that have been harvested and does not contain much nutrition for use as animal feed. Straw has other uses such as bedding for animals.Hay is the stalks and leaves of grasses and other herbaceous plants such as clover that have been harvested when the stalk is growing. This means that hay contains nutrients that can be used as animal feed as has been said hay and straw are not the same thing.
– Sarriesfan
Aug 21 at 9:45
Straw is the dead stalks of cereal crops that have been harvested and does not contain much nutrition for use as animal feed. Straw has other uses such as bedding for animals.Hay is the stalks and leaves of grasses and other herbaceous plants such as clover that have been harvested when the stalk is growing. This means that hay contains nutrients that can be used as animal feed as has been said hay and straw are not the same thing.
– Sarriesfan
Aug 21 at 9:45
add a comment |Â
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