hairy arm
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A purposeful flaw or obvious mistake introduced, usually to a graphic design, in order to bait or divert the attention of a boss or client who might otherwise focus on harder-to-fix or less trivial mistakes.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
You should always put a hairy arm into every project you work on, to give the client something to change. Of course, you've got to make the arm dumb enough.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “hairy arm” mean?
A purposeful flaw or obvious mistake introduced, usually to a graphic design, in order to bait or divert the attention of a boss or client who might otherwise focus on harder-to-fix or less trivial mistakes.
Is “hairy arm” formal or informal?
hairy arm is generally slang.