The term's origins are a matter of debate, though the usage of the term in rhetoric suggests a human figure made of straw that is easy to knock down or destroy—such as a military training dummy, scarecrow, or effigy. A common but false etymology is that it refers to men who stood outside courthouses with a straw in their shoe to signal their willingness to be a false witness. The "Online Etymology Dictionary" states that the term “man of straw” can be traced back to 1620 as “an easily refuted imaginary opponent in an argument.”