Hatchet man
Encyclopedia
A hatchet man was originally a pioneer or axeman serving in a US military unit. Towards the end of the 19th century, the phrase was used to describe a Chinese
assassin
who carried a handleless hatchet
, which originated from New York's Doyers Street.
During the Watergate scandal
, the term "hatchet man guy" was used to refer to a trusted and particularly orthodox
subordinate tasked by his employer with destroying a political opponent by any means necessary. Charles Colson
was known as a hatchet man for President Richard Nixon
, as was HR Haldeman, who proudly described himself as "Richard Nixon's 'son of a bitch'". This use of the term has since become commonplace for anyone who is tasked with conducting distasteful, illegal, or unfair "dirty work" to protect the reputation or power of their employer.
In business, the term refers to a person tasked with implementing firings of personnel.
The term 'hatchet man' is also used in football
as a slang
term to describe someone who tackles
aggressively and sometimes unfairly, and in basketball
(particularly in the past) as someone whose role is to retaliate against overly aggressive opposing players.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
who carried a handleless hatchet
Hatchet
A hatchet is a single-handed striking tool with a sharp blade used to cut and split wood...
, which originated from New York's Doyers Street.
During the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
, the term "hatchet man guy" was used to refer to a trusted and particularly orthodox
Orthodoxy
The word orthodox, from Greek orthos + doxa , is generally used to mean the adherence to accepted norms, more specifically to creeds, especially in religion...
subordinate tasked by his employer with destroying a political opponent by any means necessary. Charles Colson
Charles Colson
Charles Wendell "Chuck" Colson is a Christian leader, cultural commentator, and former Special Counsel for President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973....
was known as a hatchet man for President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, as was HR Haldeman, who proudly described himself as "Richard Nixon's 'son of a bitch'". This use of the term has since become commonplace for anyone who is tasked with conducting distasteful, illegal, or unfair "dirty work" to protect the reputation or power of their employer.
In business, the term refers to a person tasked with implementing firings of personnel.
The term 'hatchet man' is also used in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
as a slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term to describe someone who tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
aggressively and sometimes unfairly, and in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
(particularly in the past) as someone whose role is to retaliate against overly aggressive opposing players.
Usage
- "Besides being the acting secretary, Conner was former President BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
’s hatchet man on payments limits until Congress finally said enough and overrode two vetoes of the farm bill. Chuck Hassebrook has been making those same arguments for 35 years. " (2009) - "Of all the men around former President Richard NixonRichard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, probably none was more hated than Chuck Colson, top hatchet man and tireless inventor of dirty tricks." (1976) - "Mock Duck, the Hip Sing hatchet man, is in jail. For more than three weeks there hasn't been a homicide in Chinatown. So the Chong Wah Kong Shore, or Chinese Reform Association, quite naturally got together last night and celebrated the dawn of the millennium." (1906)