fuzzy end of the lollipop
1
9.9
- idiom
- UK
:
peor parte
- After working overtime all week, Jim still got the fuzzy end of the lollipop when he wasn't thanked.
Examples
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Moving into the noisy apartment was really the fuzzy end of the lollipop in that housing swap.
-
Whenever the company makes budget cuts, employees feel like they're getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop.
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I got the fuzzy end of the lollipop!
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Don't you think I got the fuzzy end of the lollipop in this deal?
-
After all her hard work, Mary felt like she got the fuzzy end of the lollipop when she was not selected for the team.
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In the negotiation, he ended up with the fuzzy end of the lollipop, while his rival scored the better deal.
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Despite his efforts, he always seems to end up with the fuzzy end of the lollipop when things don't go his way.
Synonyms
8
7.1
To get a worse or unfair result than others
To have very bad luck at an important time
Antonyms
How Unfavorable
- Informal
13
6.7
- UK
1
9.9
- Informal
8
7.1
- Informal
13
4.4
- US
Surface Forms
Morphology
fuzzy + end + of + the + lollipop
The idiomatic meaning ('to receive the worst or least desirable outcome') cannot be derived from the literal meanings of 'fuzzy' (indistinct), 'end' (final part) and 'lollipop' (a candy); the literal image does not signal an unfavorable outcome. This is a culture-specific, playful idiom (related to 'the short end of the stick'), so a B1 learner who knows the component words but has not seen the expression would not predict its figurative meaning.
Etymology
Fuzzy end of the lollipop comes from the picture of sharing a candy: one person gets the tasty end while the other is left with the rough fuzzy end of the lollipop. So, it means 'to get the worst or least pleasant part' of a situation.