protagonist, antagonist

protagonist [proh-Tag-uh-nist]

noun. the leading character, hero

antagonist [an-Tag-uh-nist]

noun. the adversary of the hero or protagonist

"Standing by refusal to endorse Trump during his convention speech, Cruz is cementing his stature as a chief Trump antagonist."

"And contradiction demands a 'for' and an 'against', a protagonist and an antagonist."

"Who will replace him as the protagonist in one of our most-watched dramas?"

red herring

red herring

phase.  something that misleads and distracts from the main subject

"Racism was not a factor in the case – that was a red herring thrown in by the defense lawyers."

"The detectives were following a red herring, but they're on the right track now."

"The mystery novel has a couple of red herrings that keep readers off guard."

origin:  A red herring is a type of strong-smelling smoked fish that was once drawn across the trail of a scent to mislead hunting dogs and put them off the scent.

white elephant

white elephant

phase. a useless or unwanted item, expensive to keep up

"The cottage at the lake had become a real white elephant-too run down to sell, yet costly to keep up."

Origin:  from the story that the kings of Siam gave such animals as a gift to courtiers considered obnoxious, in order to ruin the recipient by the great expense incurred in maintaining the animal.

condiment

condiment    [Kon-duh-muh nt]

noun.  a substance such as salt or ketchup that is used to add flavor to food

leg up

leg up

phase. aid; a boost

"He'll do OK, but he needs a financial leg up to get started."

"It must give you a leg up if you want to be an actor and your parents are both in the profession."

"College prep gives Giants rookies a leg-up."

debunk

debunk    [dih-Buhngk]

verb.  to show something (a claim, myth, etc.) to be false, prove it wrong

"Debunking myths: No, Orson Welles never ate 18 Pink’s hot dogs in one sitting."

"Those images themselves should debunk the myths that Islam and Muslims are extreme."

"Trump has made this claim several times, and it has been repeatedly debunked."

schmooze

schmooze    [shmooz]

verb. talk intimately and cozily; gossip

"David Beckham should stay in Los Angeles to schmooze with A-grade celebrities like Jack Nicholson."

"Being able to schmooze casually and confidently is a good quality in a politician."

"They came over by the drink table, now schmoozing some other girl — one who was a lot more their type."