drawing card An attraction; a person or thing noted for its drawing power—the ability to attract a great deal of attention or patronage. This expression has been in use since the 1800s, although drawing ‘attractive’ dates from the 16th century.

A variant of drawing card is selling card.

Fata Morgana A mirage or illusion that entices one into danger or destruction; also, an alluring woman, a seductress. Fata Morgana often refers specifically to the mirage of a great city that appears occasionally in the treacherous Straits of Messina, and which has led many a sailor to an untimely death on the jagged rocks bordering the Straits. The term combines the Italian fata ‘fairy’ and Morgana, derived from Morgan le Fay, an enchantress of Arthurian fame believed to be the sister of King Arthur and the student of the magician Merlin. She was reputed to live in Calabria, an area of Italy adjacent to the Straits of Messina, where, with her enticing illusions of pleasure and grandeur, she lured unwary men to their destruction.

jail bait One who serves as a temptation to commit crime, esp. an alluring female who has not reached the age of consent. This common expression of obvious origin usually refers to a young girl with whom sexual contact is the foundation for a statutory rape charge. A variant is San Quentin Quail.

lead up the garden path To deceive or mislead; to entice or beguile; to tempt with less than honorable intentions. Though no longer limited to affairs of the heart, this expression refers to the proclivity of many casanovas and coquettes to stroll among the flowers with a sweetheart in search of romantic privacy.