draw the short straw

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

draw the short straw (third-person singular simple present draws the short straw, present participle drawing the short straw, simple past drew the short straw, past participle drawn the short straw)

1. To select the shortest straw or other object while drawing straws.
2. (idiomatic) To be selected to do an undesirable task (by drawing the shortest straw or otherwise).

   I drew the short straw and got stuck doing the whole project alone.

Translations

to select the shortest straw

Breton: tennañ plouz berr (br) Dutch: aan het kortste eind trekken, het kortste lootje trekken Finnish: vetää lyhyt tikku French: tirer la courte paille German: den Kürzeren ziehen (de), das kürzere Stöckchen ziehen, das kürzere Streichholz ziehen Swedish: dra det kortaste strået (sv)

to be selected to do an undesirable task

Dutch: aan het kortste eind trekken, het kortste lootje trekken Finnish: vetää lyhyt tikku, jäädä Musta Pekka käteen French: tirer la courte paille German: den Kürzeren ziehen (de) Spanish: bailar con la más fea Swedish: dra det kortaste strået (sv)

See also

• short end of the stick
• shit end of the stick