spearcarrier

Noun

spear carrier (plural spear carriers)

1. A person in a play or movie with a minimal part; an extra.
   • [A]ctors would get annual raises through 2008, when even the lowliest spear carrier will make more than $1,500 a week for being on Broadway.2004 July 15, Jesse McKinley, “Close Call On Broadway Had Its Roots On the Road”, in New York Times, retrieved 19 Mar 2014

   Synonyms:

   bit player, walk-on

2. (broadly, idiomatic) One who serves in a subordinate or menial role.
   • A case sitting quietly in the Supreme Court’s in-basket promises to tell us more than almost any other about John G. Roberts Jr. and his evolution from spear carrier in the Reagan revolution to chief justice of the United States.2009 January 8, Linda Greenhouse, “Opinion: The Chief Justice on the Spot”, in New York Times, retrieved 19 Mar 2014

   Synonyms:

   flunky, minion, underling

3. (idiomatic) One who plays a leading or substantial role as a supporter, proponent, etc. representing a group, cause, or point of view.
   • Reed was the preternaturally boyish spear carrier for the religious right, the brash Evangelical who transformed the Christian Coalition into a populist power center.2006 July 23, James Carney, “The Rise and Fall of Ralph Reed”, in Time, retrieved 19 Mar 2014

   Synonyms:

   point man, standard-bearer, spearchucker