Example: In vielen Verhandlungen zieht er oft den Kürzeren gegenüber erfahrenen Gegnern.
Definition
"Den Kürzeren ziehen" is a German idiomatic expression meaning to come off worse or to lose out in a situation, especially in negotiations or competitions. It implies that someone is at a disadvantage or suffers a setback compared to others.
Translations
come off worse
llevarse la peor parte
het onderspit delven
sortir-ne perdent
avoir le dessous
Etymology
The phrase "den Kürzeren ziehen" literally means "to draw the shorter one," referring to drawing the shorter straw in a game of chance to determine who loses or takes on an unfavorable task. This expression comes from an old custom where straws of different lengths were drawn to decide outcomes, and the person who drew the shorter straw was at a disadvantage.
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"Den Kürzeren ziehen" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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come off worse