cannon-fodder

They are shooting a scene in the kitchen, between the non-evil footman William, informally known as cannon-fodder boy, who is in love with the simple but godly kitchen maid Daisy, and Mrs Hughes.

The Guardian World News Tanya Gold 2011

They were also too often used as cannon-fodder, second-class soldiers: fed more poorly, clothed more shabbily, paid less, rewarded rarely, promoted hardly, humiliated routinely.

WWII soldiers remembrance 2009

Also the lowest turnout has been in those kind of areas where people have been used as cannon-fodder in the past (ie urban w/c).

"The people have(n't) spoken.... O'Neill 2009

The sticking point comes when it's use to roll out cannon-fodder for whatever whim the current Westminster govt has.

Yes to St Athans (sort of) 2009

The cathartic, scintillating victory the club had so craved after two weeks of unwelcome political intrigue behind the scenes, and uncharacteristic toils out on the pitch, proved elusive, even against the competition's cannon-fodder.

Chelsea fight back against Zilina to claim Champions League Group F Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge 2010

J.B. stared, frowning in astonishment - it came as a shock to him, I think, to be reminded that Joe knew all about the plan - the other blacks didn't, you see, being mere cannon-fodder who hadn't been admitted to our councils.

THE NUMBERS 2010

Our envious old friends were just cannon-fodder, twisted needles bound in a hellish, Teutonic haystack.

Soviet Adam Henry Carri 2010

I began as cannon-fodder in the notoriously tough Mail newsroom.

Songs of Blue and Gold « Tales from the Reading Room 2008

Of course Mullin, a typical Pentagon meathead, conveniently forgets – or wants us to forget – that if the Pentagon had kept its wrong-side-of-the-tracks cannon-fodder out of Iraq to begin with the ‘situation’ would be 10,000% more peaceful than it is now.

mullen’s little warning (3 days old) 2008

Yet he sends other people's children off as cannon-fodder.

Quote Of The Day 2009