twist in the wind en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
An allusion to being hanged by the neck and then left for dead in a suspended state.
Meanings
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(idiomatic) To be unassisted and without comfort in a situation likely to result in distress or failure.
There seemed to be a shared perception of Colonel North as a good and honorable serviceman who had been left to twist in the wind, the scapegoat of an operation gone awry.
1987 July 12, William E. Schmidt, “Iran-Contra Hearings”, in New York Times, retrieved 23 Aug 2008:
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(idiomatic) To wait for an uncomfortably long period of time.
McGuinty just says, "Don't worry, the investigation will be over soon enough, we'll do something in due course," and people are expected to twist in the wind in the meantime.
2008 August 21, Josh Wingrove, “Toronto facing $2-million cleanup bill”, in Globe and Mail, Canada:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| twists in the wind | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| twisted in the wind | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| twisted in the wind | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| twisting in the wind | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Relateds
leave someone holding the bag · leave someone in the lurch · leave someone high and dry · hang out to dry