slings and arrows
plural noun
: pointed often acerbic critical attacks
has suffered the slings and arrows of detractors
Roland Gelatt
Roland Gelatt
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Strange is too smart, worldly, and compact to get bogged down in overly self-conscious musings about the slings and arrows of his budding fame. Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2022 In the United States, the military is subordinate to the civil power, the civil power is accountable to the citizenry, and both must suffer their slings and arrows as a result. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 23 Feb. 2022 For decades, Justice Clarence Thomas has suffered slings and arrows from certain legal pundits for rarely commenting during oral arguments. WSJ, 17 Jan. 2022 The show deals with the emergence of a seemingly omnipotent gossip columnists, and maneuvers the slings and arrows of Regency-era high society. Adam Rathe, Town & Country, 22 Jan. 2022 While just a quarter of young birds survive the deadly gantlet of the Alaskan bog, some 90 percent of adults survive the slings and arrows of their southward migration. Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022 There’s definitely a meta-aspect to watching this guy try to crawl his way back up at first, an almost uneasy frisson from seeing someone that’s actually suffered the slings and arrows of show business going through these motions. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2021 Nora suffers the slings and arrows of Roxanne, who calls her a coward. Nick Schager, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2021 And can Valerie survive the slings and arrows launched by mean-girl debutantes? San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2021 See More
Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2022 In the United States, the military is subordinate to the civil power, the civil power is accountable to the citizenry, and both must suffer their slings and arrows as a result. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 23 Feb. 2022 For decades, Justice Clarence Thomas has suffered slings and arrows from certain legal pundits for rarely commenting during oral arguments. WSJ, 17 Jan. 2022 The show deals with the emergence of a seemingly omnipotent gossip columnists, and maneuvers the slings and arrows of Regency-era high society. Adam Rathe, Town & Country, 22 Jan. 2022 While just a quarter of young birds survive the deadly gantlet of the Alaskan bog, some 90 percent of adults survive the slings and arrows of their southward migration. Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022 There’s definitely a meta-aspect to watching this guy try to crawl his way back up at first, an almost uneasy frisson from seeing someone that’s actually suffered the slings and arrows of show business going through these motions. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2021 Nora suffers the slings and arrows of Roxanne, who calls her a coward. Nick Schager, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2021 And can Valerie survive the slings and arrows launched by mean-girl debutantes? San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
from the phrase "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" in Shakespeare's Hamlet
First Known Use
1963, in the meaning defined above
- straight paper
- straight peen
- straight poker
- straight rail
- straight razor
- straight shooter
- straight shooters
- straight talk
- straight ticket
- straight time
- straight whiskey
- straight-ahead
- straight-arm
- straight-arrow
- straight-back
- straight-backed
- straight-billed curlew
- straight-cut
- straight-faced
- straight-facedly
- straight-flute
- straight-fluted
- straight-from-the-shoulder
- straight-front
- straight-grained