get the short end of the stick

Hi everyone!!

I was reading a horoscope and it said this:
They always try to do the right thing and sometimes get the short end of the stick.


What?? It's under my sign, so I'd like to know what it means to get the short end of the stick!
Reminds me of the game where a group of friends cut up sticks and one is shorter, so the one who gets the short sticks gets to be the goalkeeper. Is it like that??

Getting the short end of a stick usually has a negative meaning. It is often said to the people that end up doing something other people don't want to do. I think in your case it might also mean it isn’t always appreciated.

Hi Vero

It means to suffer the bad effects of a situation. To receive less than due. It isoften used when speaking about being cheated by someone.


I found these examples:
The people who get the short end of the stick are those whose income is just too high to qualify for help from the government.

Jack really got the short end of the stick in the divorce proceedings. She thinks she got the short end of the stick.

I hope it helps in your context

Tomar el rábano por las hojas:
andar totalmente despistado, entender todo al revés; Sinónimos: be grabbing the wrong end of the stick, bark up the wrong ...
No pegar ni una.
Salir siempre perdedor.

Gracias a todos!!!

Mejor que me fije en no salir perdiendo de aquí en más!!! (era para los de piscis :))

Hi Veronica

Gigi and Analaura have the right idea. Getting the short end of the stick simply means getting less than fair or equal treatment...synonomous with other phrase like: "an unfair deal", "getting screwed"; "getting short changed", "getting a raw deal", "getting the worst of it", and numerous others.

It is a common term.

In your horoscope

"They always try to do the right thing and sometimes get the short end of the stick."

means that "they" are sometimes unappreciated no matter that they try hard all the time.