The person to blame for what is bad or wrong, as in I'm afraid the caterer is the villain of the piece--the food wasn't ready for hours. The piece in this term alludes to a play in which the villain is the character whose evildoing is important to the plot. [Mid-1800s]
villain of the piece, the
| Idioms: villain of the piece, the |
Learn More
 | Bullet for a Badman (1964 Western Film) |
| In the First Degree (1927 Film) |
| The Two Edged Sword (1916 Drama Film) |
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Copyrights:
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 | Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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Mentioned in
- Bullet for a Badman (1964 Western Film)
- In the First Degree (1927 Film)
- The Two Edged Sword (1916 Drama Film)
- Celle Qui Domine (1927 Comedy Drama Film)
- X-Men: Mojovision (1993 Children's/Family Film)
- An Intrigue (1911 Film)
- Justice League: Metamorphosis, Part 2 (2002 Action Film)
- Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians - The Case of the Stolen Super Powers (1985 Film)
- piece (Idiom)
- Female Trouble: Dark Angel (TV Episode) (2001 Science Fiction TV Episode)
- Shades of Grey: Stargate SG-1 (TV Episode) (2000 Science Fiction TV Episode)
- Three Handed Game: The New Avengers (TV Episode) (1977 Spy Film TV Episode)
- The Truth: The O.C. (TV Episode) (2004 Drama TV Episode)
- Crackpot: Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Episode) (1956 TV Episode)
