KT21 Word Line
くわせもの
食わせ物
Kuwasemono
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Meaning
a sham; a crafty one
Something that looks good but has nothing behind it. Said of a person, it is written 食わせ者 and refers to someone who seems unassuming but is in fact not to be trusted.
Example
とんだ食わせ物をつかまされた。／あの男は相当の食わせ者だ。
I got stuck with a real dud. / That man is a crafty one.
Origin
The verb kuwasu once also meant to saddle someone with a loss, or to deceive them. From this the word came to mean something that deceives people.