A hatchet man was originally a pioneer or axeman serving in a US military unit.[1] Towards the end of the 19th century, the phrase was used to describe a Chinese assassin who carried a handleless hatchet, which originated from New York's Doyers Street.[1][2]
During the Watergate scandal, the term "hatchet man guy" was used to refer to a trusted and particularly orthodox subordinate tasked by his employer with destroying a political opponent by any means necessary. Charles Colson was known as a hatchet man for President Richard Nixon, as was HR Haldeman, who proudly described himself as "Richard Nixon's 'son of a bitch'". This use of the term has since become commonplace for anyone who is tasked with conducting distasteful, illegal, or unfair "dirty work" to protect the reputation or power of their employer.[3]
In business, the term refers to a person tasked with implementing firings of personnel.[4]
The term 'hatchet man' is also used in football as a slang term to describe someone who tackles aggressively and sometimes unfairly, and in basketball (particularly in the past) as someone whose role is to retaliate against overly aggressive opposing players.