IdiomBody & Senses
English
Englisha stab in the back
Meaning: A betrayal by someone one trusted.
Example: “Hiring my rival without telling me was a stab in the back.”
Origin: An attack from behind by a supposed friend. The phrase became notorious in the German "stab-in-the-back" myth after the First World War, but the image is much older.
Equivalents in other languages
Persian: زیر آب کسی را زدن (Zir-e āb-e kasi rā zadan) Literally: To hit someone under the water
Italian: calcio dell'asino Literally: Kick of the donkey
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