to Monday-morning quarterback
3
8.7
- idiom
- /ˈmʌndeɪ ˈmɔrnɪŋ ˈkwɔrtərbæk/
- Offensive
:
criticar a toro pasado
- I am amazed at the stupidity and ineffectiveness of the national press and all those Republicans who are practicing Monday morning quarterbacking about why the Republicans lost the election.
- it's easy to Monday-morning quarterback
Examples
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Monday morning quarterbacking.
Blog text (29) -
For shame yet again for them to be "Monday morning quarterbacking" this issue just like countless others...
Blog text (14) -
It's that old "Monday morning quarterbacking" syndrome, you see.
Blog text (27) -
Third, it is not Monday morning quarterbacking to point out mistakes on Monday that one also pointed out on Sunday during the game.
Blog text (29) -
I hate the Phillies, but this is some serious Monday morning quarterbacking here.
Blog text (5) -
You come across as Monday morning quarterbacking, as one commenter said.
Blog text (29) -
There is something else that must be addressed: the study of history normally engages in "Monday morning quarterbacking"!
Blog text (29) -
"It's hindsight, Monday-morning quarterbacking, whatever you want to call it."
Blog text (29) -
So-called "Monday morning quarterbacking" is crucial in learning from past mistakes, successes, and all the in-betweens; as well as examining what choices for similar situations in the future could produce a more positive outcome.
Blog text (29) -
It's easy to Monday-morning quarterback a decision when you know the outcome.
Synonyms
27
6.1
To criticize a decision after you know the result
How Critical
43
7.9
701
3.3
- Offensive
3
8.7
∞
1.0
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
Monday-morning + quarterback
The phrase combines the temporal phrase 'Monday-morning' (after the event) with 'quarterback' (the decision-making player), so the meaning is a metaphorical extension: someone who criticizes or second-guesses decisions in hindsight. This relies on cultural knowledge of American football and a figurative use of roles, so a B1 learner who only knows the literal words might partly infer the idea but would likely miss the idiomatic nuance, making it only partially transparent.
Etymology
Monday-morning quarterback (verb) uses the same image from football: to speak on Monday about how the quarterback should have acted in a game. That is why it means 'to criticize or say what should have been done after something has happened'.