History

• Usage of "straw boss" began on rural assembly lines, such as on mills.mill image by Angie from Fotolia.com
  
  Born of early developments in America's late 19th century industrial revolution, the term describes a field worker whose duties made him supervisor---or boss---of his peers, but not a manager. "Straw boss" was coined on the rural assembly lines of mills. Where the primary supervisor oversaw the separation of wheat from chaff---the industry's reason for being---the foreman who oversaw the crew in charge of bailing hay byproduct came to be called a straw boss.
  
  

Mills to Factories

• "Origin of term: the boss attended to the grain going into the thresher; the second-man watched after the straw coming out and hence had little to do," according to Wentworth & Flexner, Dictionary of American Slang. Popularized by hobos, the term would in the ensuing years find its way to the floors of urban factories.
  
  

In Print

• Early print usage, in the 1880s, alluded to the worker's position as a straw man, or cover---a denuded authority figure. The term increasingly signified petty subordinance and even today encourages derision.
  
  

Jazz Boss

• In post-war 20th century usage, the term gained popularity inside jazz.saxophone image by SADIA from Fotolia.com
  
  By the midpoint of the 20th century, the term had taken on a related meaning within the field of jazz. The unofficial music director who carried out organizational responsibilities, often the lead saxophone player, came to be called a straw boss. When his quintet hit hard times, alto sax legend Nat "Cannonball" Adderley became a petty foreman, according to National Public Radio, directing music and rounding up pay after performances.
  
  

New Meanings

• In the post-Civil Rights era, the term came into underground vogue as a synonym for "Uncle Tom" to describe a black who might passively do a perceived oppressor's bidding, according to AssataShakur.org.
  
  In contemporary terms, a "straw boss" might as likely be found in a nursing home ward as on a factory floor. Certain industries have begun to reclaim the pejorative appellation and have begun openly referring to a subordinate who's been put in charge as a "straw boss."