He always seems to get the short end of the stick when it comes to work assignments.
word origin — From a Shakespeare-era game — two players held opposite ends of a stick; the one with less length lost the round.
get the short end of the stick, spill over into something, twist the knife, have a skeleton in the closet, make waves: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 44. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
get the short end of the stick · idiom/ðə ʃɔrt ɛnd əv ðə stɪk/
to receive unfair or worse treatment than others
He always seems to get the short end of the stick when it comes to work assignments.
Origin: From a Shakespeare-era game — two players held opposite ends of a stick; the one with less length lost the round.
spill over into something · idiom/spɪl ˈoʊvɚ ˈɪntu ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
to affect or spread into another situation
The stress from work started to spill over into his personal life.
Origin: From containers — liquid that overflows spreads beyond its original space into neighboring areas.
twist the knife · idiom/twɪst ðə naɪf/
to make a painful or unpleasant situation even worse
She twisted the knife by reminding him of his past failures.
Origin: An ancient image — a knife already plunged into a wound causes far worse pain when twisted in place.
have a skeleton in the closet · idiom/ˈskɛlətən ɪn ðə ˈklɑzət/
to have a hidden and potentially embarrassing or shameful secret
He has a skeleton in the closet that he hopes no one will discover.
Origin: From the 1800s — wealthy families were said to hide shameful secrets, sometimes even bodies, in locked rooms.
make waves · idiom/meɪk weɪvz/
to cause disruption or controversy
His controversial speech really made waves at the conference.
Origin: An American expression from the 1960s — boats that move quickly create waves that disturb the calm water.