short straw

phrase

: the losing straw in a lottery used to decide or assign something
often used figuratively
I drew the short straw of having to deal with letters to the editor complaining about the language.Philip Howard

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Cite this Entry

“Short straw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20straw. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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