A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

straw boss • straw man
straw boss —a helper for a boss; an assistant foreman: I was
a straw boss. I worked at it a while but I never cared for it. I
did not have any power to hire or fire.
straw man —(also: man of straw) 
1
. a respectable man who
serves as a cover for a questionable enterprise (also: front man):
I suggest that you keep talking with people who were involved,
rather than trying to use me as a straw man. 2. a made-up
version of an opponent’s argument that can easily be defeated:
His speech wasn’t really convincing because he attacked a straw
man rather than addressing the real issues.
straws in the wind • throw straws against the wind
straws in the wind —slight hints that show which way things
may develop: There have been other things, straws in the wind,
maybe, which give reason to think that contemporary stan-
dards are in a process of decline.
throw straws against the wind —(also: spit against the wind)
engage in futile action or fruitless effort: You will be throwing
straws against the wind if you try to do anything for that
youth — he is incurable.
street legal car • streetcar
street legal car —a certified roadworthy car (typically used of
an unlikely looking car): For a street legal car you need to know
the laws that govern automobiles, such as bumper height and
light requirements.
streetcar —(U.S.) a public passenger vehicle that runs on
metal rails (also: trolley car): Plans have been drafted to replace
the large buses with a mini bus and later by a streetcar.
street woman • woman in the street
street woman —(euph.) a prostitute: So the brothels had been
succeeded by houses of convenience, where street-women
could rent a room.
woman in the street—the ordinary woman; any woman
selected at random: She had the political cynicism of the
woman in the street.