den Kürzeren ziehen

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German

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Etymology

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Literally, to draw the shorter one.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /den ˈkʏr.t͡sə.rən ˈt͡siː.ən/
  • Audio:(file)

Verb

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den Kürzeren ziehen (class 2 strong, third-person singular present zieht den Kürzeren, past tense zog den Kürzeren, past participle den Kürzeren gezogen, past subjunctive zöge den Kürzeren, auxiliary haben)

  1. (idiomatic) to draw the short straw; to get the short end of the stick
    1. (literally) to be chosen by drawing the shorter straw (stick, match) in drawing straws
      Synonyms: das kürzere Stöckchen ziehen, das kürzere Streichholz ziehen
    2. (figuratively, only this form) to lose; to be defeated; to have a disadvantage

Conjugation

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See also

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