
IdiomDaily Life
English
a parting shot
Meaning: A final sharp remark made while leaving.
Example: “As she left, her parting shot was "Good luck finding someone else."”
Origin: Probably an alteration of "Parthian shot": Parthian horse archers would pretend to flee and shoot back at their pursuers. The form "parting shot" is found from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
French: La flèche du Parthe Literally: The Parthian shot
More English idioms
- grease someone's palm To bribe someone.
- go by shanks' mare To walk; to travel on foot.
- like a duck to water Naturally and easily, as if born to it.
- kill the goose that lays the golden eggs To destroy a source of profit out of greed.
- with one's tail between one's legs Humiliated and defeated.
- have a foot in both camps To be involved with two opposing sides at once.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter. A 'b / t / tt' plosive drill that bounces between Betty, butter, and bitter.
- She sells seashells by the seashore. The definitive 's' versus 'sh' alternation — the tongue has to switch place of articulati…
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A relentless 'p' plosive drill; a peck is an old dry measure of about nine litres.
Keep exploring