stand-in

stand-in

1. In film and television, someone who stands in place of an actor while lights, cameras, and sound equipment are set up and adjusted. I got a job as a stand-in for a local television shoot. It's pretty dull work, but the pay is good!
2. By extension, anyone who acts as a substitute for the duty or role of someone else, especially on a temporary basis. The vice-president assumed she would be nothing more than a stand-in while the president recuperated from his illness, but after he died, she was forced to lead the country for real. Don't get so high and mighty with us, Jeff. You're just a stand-in while the boss is on vacation.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

stand in (for someone)

to substitute for someone; to serve in someone's place. The famous opera singer was ill, and an inexperienced singer had to stand in for her. The new singer was grateful for the opportunity to stand in.
See also: stand
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

stand-in

n. a substitute; a temporary replacement. The audience booed the stand-in. They had paid to hear a star.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • shoot the lights
  • flash on someone
  • flash on something
  • shut the lights
  • outen the lights
  • dim up
  • flash off
  • finger (one) as (someone)
  • finger as
  • finger someone as someone
References in periodicals archive
Originally, the idea of using CGI and stand-ins sounded appealing in order to still have a sense of Hoffman as Plutarch in the two remaining scenes.
'Hunger Games' Director Avoids Using CGI And Stand-Ins For Philip Seymour Hoffman's Remaining Scenes
SEAL OF APPROVAL Strachan gives his stand-ins such as Martin, Bannan and Conway (below left) a thumbs-up for their fine display on Friday night
FIGHT FOR YOUR PLACE; Strach fires warning to his stayaway stars Gord fires a warning
The test data was then validated on the ground with human stand-ins for passengers.
Boeing touts breakthrough for in-flight connectivity
When Dutch photographer Frans Lanting decided he wanted to paint a portrait of the Earth's evolution, he recognized that unless he could find a way to bend time, he'd have to settle for a few stand-ins. And so he found himself in many of America's national parks, where time seems to stand still.
It's about time
Ashworth scored 12 points for Sheffield at the same track last month to help the Tigers to a shock away victory, so it is no surprise he was top of team manager George English's list of stand-ins.
Ricky set for guest spot
Both sides were far from full strength due to injuries and Grand Prix commitments, but the Hammers collected many more points from their stand-ins, with veterans Joe Screen and Chris Louis both in good form.
Speedway: Peter Karlsson and David
The stand-ins performed admirably in Tuesday's League Cup defeat to Barnsley, but manager Dave Penney will still ring the changes in Lancashire.
Football: Defenders to return for Darlington
It's incredible in this day and age of modern soaps to think that some actors could not perform on the two days of the performance so had to be replaced by stand-ins. Imagine that in EastEnders or Corrie!
So different from our television soaps today
They are not symbols or stand-ins for Native American cultures.
Thought to Exist in the Wild
Stand-ins for traditional hall passes include a life preserver, rubber snakes and alligators, a shoe, a wooden apple, a magic wand, and even a doll named Igor.
Get creative with hall passes
They see motivations ranging from the rational (the vested interests of obesity researchers, public health officials, and the diet and pharmaceutical industries) to the irrational (a deep-seated cultural revulsion at fat people, disproportionately poor symbols of sloth who serve as stand-ins for minority scapegoats).
Lay off the fatties: they're not hurting anybody--maybe not even themselves
These stand-ins rode Expedition Everest as the coaster underwent extensive testing.
Wheeee! Climb aboard Expedition Everest Disney's newest adventure ride
There's an eternal battle between academies and journalists in the writing of history, with the scholars emphasizing long arcs of historic force and the hacks stressing the agency of particular figures--a take that has the advantage of making more interesting copy; by my count, Branch's journalistic history contains at least four stand-ins for Hamlet.
Down from the mountain: Taylor Branch shows how the end of Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights movement marked the beginning of liberalism's crack-up
A follow-up discussion with the debaters or their stand-ins will be at 5:05 p.m., Tuesday at Cafe Paradiso, Broadway and Olive Street.
Debate weighs SAIF, land use measures
He follows Anne Robinson, John Sergeant and Paul Merton as stand-ins before a permanent host is found following the axing of Angus Deayton.
SHOWBIZ GOSSIP: Lib Dem leader's got news for you