straight-arrow

English

Noun

straight-arrow (plural straight-arrows)

1. Alternative form of straight arrow
   • 2002, John Leslie Evans, Anatomy of a Killing:

     A ruggedly-handsome man, he had an open, friendly face; he was known as a straight-arrow.

   • 2012, Robert L. Sims, A Boy Named Bobby: Adventures of Growing up in the 40'S and 50'S:

     All my life I had been a very clean-cut guy, sort of a “straight-arrow,” an outdoors, hunting and fishing kind of guy.

   • 2014, Robert K. Tanenbaum, Fatal Conceit, page 141:

     The guy's a straight-arrow, and he's definitely got the president's back.

   • 2014, Joanne Kennedy, How to Handle a Cowboy:

     But how did a straight-arrow like you wind up with a friend like that?

Adjective

straight-arrow (comparative more straight-arrow, superlative most straight-arrow)

1. Alternative form of straight arrow
   • 1983, Pacific Northwest - Volume 17, page 38:

     The difficulties attracted him, as well as the aesthetics of the route he wanted to follow – a straight-arrow ridge to the top.

   • 1993, Karen & Terry Whitehill, Europe by Bike, page 206:

     Savor a paved and peaceful route through endless fields as you follow a straight-arrow road to an intersection with the secondary road for Grossbostheim.

   • 1997, Empire, Society and Labor: Essays in Honor of Richard S. Dunn, page 240:

     Second, Winney's personal history did not follow a straight-arrow transition from slavery to manumission to freedom, or even manumission to indenture to freedom; rather her re-enslavement followed several years' employment as a free woman for her former owner, and then what may have been as many years at the residence of her later employer before she was sold.