Motte-and-bailey
Etymology
From medieval castle design: the bailey was the desirable but exposed courtyard where daily life happened; the motte was the fortified mound you retreated to under attack. The philosopher Nicholas Shackel borrowed the pair in 2005 for the argumentative version.
noun · /MOT-and-BAY-lee/
A rhetorical move that defends an easy, modest claim in order to protect a bold, controversial one.
What it names
Why some arguments feel slippery — the speaker retreats to the defensible version when challenged, then returns to the strong version once safe.
Example
"I just meant we should be kind" was the motte; the sweeping policy he actually wanted was the bailey — a classic motte-and-bailey.
Related idea
Unlike plain equivocation, a motte-and-bailey deliberately swaps between two distinct claims under pressure.