Did your boss just unfairly distribute the workload between the team? Maybe you missed the final selection for the debate club, even though you feel you deserve a spot ahead of some of the other candidates? If that’s the case, you got “the short end of the stick.”
This idiom refers to you getting a raw deal. It’s common in conversation and language today, even though the expression has a long history. You can use this phrase in social and professional settings, as most people will understand your reference.
This post looks at the origin and meaning of the idiom, and we’ll put together a few use cases to further your understanding of how to use it in conversation.
Short End of the Stick Meaning
The meaning of “short end of the stick” refers to getting a “raw” or unfavorable deal from negotiations or distributions. If you receive “the short end of the stick,” it means that someone overlooked you when you felt you were deserving.
Short End of the Stick Example Usage
Some of the ways you can use “short end of the stick” in conversation are the following.
- The boss gave the promotion to Mike over me; I think I got the short end of the stick with that decision.
- Charlotte gets to serve customers while I have to clean the bathrooms. I think I got the short end of the stick in today’s work allocation.
- I didn’t make the team, but Greg did, even though I rushed for more yards than him last season. The coach really gave me the short end of the stick with the roster this season.
Short End of the Stick Origin
The exact origin of the idiom remains unclear. However, a few ideas of the first use cases of the expression date back to the Middle Ages.
Some language experts suggest that the “Short end of the stick” originates from the 1500s. During the middle ages, the rich would clean themselves with fabrics after relieving themselves, while the poor would use leaves or a stick with a slight curve, known as a “Gompf stick.”
You would clean your backside with the curved part of the stick. Therefore, anyone grabbing the “short end of the stick” would be grabbing feces, ending in a very unpleasant experience.
The phrase comes from the earlier mention of “get the short end of the staff,” where masters would beat their servants using the staff, and if you got the wrong end of the staff, it meant you get a beating.
Phrases Similar to Short End of the Stick
- I got a raw deal.
- I got a bad deal.
- I got overlooked.
- I got left out intentionally.
- Wrong end of the stick.
Phrases Opposite to Short End of the Stick
- I got a good deal.
- I got a favorable outcome.
- I got what I wanted.
What is the Correct Saying?
- The short end of the stick.
- The shorter end of the stick.
- The short end of the staff.
- The wrong end of the stick.
Ways People May Incorrectly Say Short End of the Stick
When referring to the use of the idiom in modern language, you are not referring to a physical stick. Therefore, it has nothing to do with receiving a stick.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Short End of the Stick
Getting the short end of the stick is a suitable reference to receiving a bad or raw deal in life. It could apply to social or professional interactions involving authorities or friends. The “stick” refers to a decision or command, and the “short end” refers to bad or negative connotations or outcomes.