# short end of the stick

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A situation, opportunity, or outcome which is less favorable than situations, opportunities, or outcomes experienced by or available to others.

## Etymology
Unknown. Attested since the 1500s, suggested by one theory to be a minced oath of shit end of the stick, as an 1840s cite uses crappy, but this theory is unlikely. Possibly also derived from a previous literal meaning, as wrong end of the stick is even older, though the precise literal meaning is unclear.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/short-end-of-the-stick