get the short straw

get the short straw
draw/get/the short straw phrase
to be the person in a group who has to do an unpleasant or difficult job

I drew the short straw and had to stay late.

Thesaurus: to be in, or to get into a difficult situationsynonym
Main entry: short

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • get the short end of the stick — get the short end of the ˈstick idiom (NAmE) (BrE ˌdraw the short ˈstraw) to be the person in a group who is chosen or forced to perform an unpleasant duty or task Main entry: ↑shortidiom …   Useful english dictionary

  • draw the short straw — To be given an unpleasant task, duty, etc, or the most unpleasant of several • • • Main Entry: ↑short draw the short straw To be entrusted with an unpleasant task (as a result of, or as if by, drawing straws) • • • Main Entry: ↑straw * * *… …   Useful english dictionary

  • straw — [ strɔ ] noun ** 1. ) uncount the yellow stems of dried crops such as wheat: bales of straw a straw hat 2. ) count a long thin paper or plastic tube that you use for drinking clutch/grasp at straws to try to find anything at all that will help… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • short — short1 W1S1 [ʃo:t US ʃo:rt] adj comparative shorter superlative shortest ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(time)¦ 2¦(length/distance)¦ 3¦(not tall)¦ 4¦(book/letter)¦ 5¦(not enough)¦ 6 be short on something 7¦(less than)¦ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • short — short1 [ ʃɔrt ] adjective *** ▸ 1 small in height/distance ▸ 2 time: not long ▸ 3 expressed in few words ▸ 4 with fewer words/letters ▸ 5 not having enough ▸ 6 about memory ▸ 7 rude and unfriendly ▸ 8 about vowel/syllable ▸ 9 full of butter/fat ▸ …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • short — I UK [ʃɔː(r)t] / US [ʃɔrt] adjective Word forms short : adjective short comparative shorter superlative shortest *** 1) a) measuring a small height, length, or distance She s short and slim, with light brown hair and blue eyes. You ll need three… …   English dictionary

  • short — 1 adjective LENGTH/HEIGHT/DISTANCE 1 measuring a small amount in distance or length: a short corridor with two rooms on each side | a short skirt | It s a short drive from the airport. | Anita had her hair cut short. 2 PERSON someone who is short …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • straw — S3 [stro: US stro:] n [: Old English; Origin: streaw] 1.) a) [U] the dried stems of wheat or similar plants that animals sleep on, and that are used for making things such as baskets, hats etc →↑hay ▪ a straw hat b) a single dried stem of stra …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • straw — /strɔ / (say straw) noun 1. a single stalk or stem, especially of certain species of grain, chiefly wheat, rye, oats, and barley. 2. a mass of such stalks, especially after drying and threshing, used as fodder, as material for hats, etc. 3. a… …  

  • short — I [[t]ʃɔ͟ː(r)t[/t]] ADJECTIVE AND ADVERB USES ♦ shorter, shortest (Please look at category 24 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.) 1) ADJ GRADED If something is short or lasts for a short time, it does… …   English dictionary

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