“Cat’s paw” means a person used by someone else for a risky or dishonest purpose. The image comes from a fable about chestnuts in a fire.

This expression began with a literal axe in an old story. Now it usually means someone has a personal motive or private agenda.

Use hung for objects and ordinary positions. Use hanged only for execution in legal or historical contexts.

“Eat humble pie” began with “umble pie,” a dish made from animal offal. Over time, the phrase came to mean admitting you were wrong.