no true Scotsman
/ˌnoʊ ˌtruː ˈskɒtsmən/
dismissing counterexamples by redefining the group
no true Scotsman in a sentence
“No real fan would dislike this movie is the no true Scotsman fallacy.”
Origin of no true Scotsman
English phrase coined by philosopher Antony Flew (1975) from a hypothetical example involving Scottish nationality
Related Words
red herring
introducing an irrelevant topic to divert attention
slippery slope
arguing that one event will inevitably lead to extreme consequences
straw man
misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack
sunk cost fallacy
continuing something because of previously invested resources
tu quoque
deflecting criticism by pointing to the critic's similar behavior
whataboutism
responding to criticism by pointing to others' faults