HATCHET MAN

n. , colloquial 1. A politician or newspaper columnist whose job is to write and say unfavorable things about the opposition. Bill Lerner is the hatchet man for the Mayor's Party; he smears all the other candidates regularly. 2. An executive officer in a firm whose job it is to fire superfluous personnel, cut back on the budget, etc., in short, to do the necessary but unpleasant things. The firm hired Cranhart to be hatchet man; his title is that of Executive Vice President.