the.com/enforcer
Hired muscle for rules too chicken to defend themselves.
means A person whose job is to make sure rules, laws, or demands are actually obeyed, often through intimidation or force.
from Built from 'enforce,' which comes from Old French 'enforcier' — 'to strengthen' — itself rooted in Latin 'fortis,' meaning strong. So to enforce was originally to put strength behind something, to give it force. The '-er' was added later to name the person who does the strengthening — the muscle behind the rule rather than the rule itself.
- hockey origin
- NHL term for team's designated fighter
- mafia usage
- the one who visits, not negotiates
- irony
- exists because the rule alone wasn't scary enough