26 Feb
2005
26 Feb
'05
5:37 a.m.
On Sat, 26 Feb, 2005 at 10:51AM +1030, luke(a)chipcity.com.au spake thus:
Hi,
25Feb2005 @ 09:08 Wolfgang Woehl thusly spake
Hmm. I've never heard of the short end of the stick. I've heard of
the wrong end of the stick, and the short straw, but this one's new to
me.
Maybe it's an American phrase. The most similar expression I can
think of over here is getting the sh*tty end of the stick.
I've just noticed that this post has absolutely nothing useful in it,
but I'm about to press send anyway.
James
This is from Lamont Dozier's "Fish
ain't bitin'" (1973) Can someone
explain the expression "The short is off the stick"? Thanks.
And meanwhile in DC
Tricky Dick is trying to be slick
And the short is off the stick
Because I'm gonna get it
Tricky Dick, please quit
You might be familiar with the expression: "getting the short end of the
stick", which means you don't have the power, or you are subject someone
else's overriding power (they have the long end of the stick). The short is off the
stick is probably a way of saying "we are no longer subject to that overriding power,
perhaps referring to the (misplaced) power of tricky dick. that's my first line of interpretation,
kind regards,
Luke
--
"I'd crawl over an acre of 'Visual This++' and 'Integrated
Development
That' to get to gcc, Emacs, and gdb. Thank you."
(By Vance Petree, Virginia Power)