Can anyone tell me the word or phrase that means 'someone who things are done to'? [closed]
I am looking for a word or phrase for
- someone who has things done to them and
- someone who does things to people.
I.e. someone with no power and someone who has all the power.
Would be really great if you brainy people could help... to stop my brain from exploding!
One of the more colourful variations on this theme comes to us from Yiddish. The hapless victim would be a schlemazel, and the careless inflictor of the damage would be a schlemiel.
Off the top of my head...
Victim and Perpetrator
Puppet and Puppeteer (or puppet-master)
Pawn and Player
Serf and Lord
Are any of these on the right track for you?
In grammar or literary criticism, the first is object, the second is subject. In syntax, the first is a patient, while the second is agent. Unfortunately, most of these words have other meanings and may be misunderstood out of context.
If you wish to combine them, agent / object are likely to be understood in the correct way by most people.