Meaning of ass in a sling | Babel Free

Definitions

An uncomfortable personal state of affairs involving injury, defeat, or other trouble, especially a state of affairs resulting from one's own ill-considered actions.

Canada, US, informal, uncountable, usually, vulgar

Examples

“I see our asses in a sling if we get caught, that's what I see.”

“Dempsey briefed senior HUD officials on federal ethics rules in early 1981, he said, "and most of those who later got their ass in a sling sat there and ignored it."”

“I think that kind of breathless egotism deserves little more than to limp home with its arse in a sling.”

“[T]he bullpen's continued ineffectiveness has to fall on John Mozeliak. . . . If it ends up with Johnny Mo's ass in a sling, so be it.”

“[Frank Sinatra] asked me what I was doing. I said, "The usual. Making pictures. You?" He said, "The usual. Getting my ass in a sling."”

CEFR level