Ever Been Put on the Spot?
Put on the spot?
What Does Put on the Spot Mean?
The main thought deals with ‘the Ace of Spades’. The ace of spades is a symbol of death to the superstitious all over the world. Vietcong soldiers were so afraid of it that American planes dropped thousands of cards in their ‘strongholds’ to demoralize them.
Put on the Spot and Pirates
The superstitious origins derive from the old practice among pirates of sending the ace of spades, which has one printed ‘spot’ in the middle, as a death threat to an informer or coward they intended to kill. The person receiving the ace of spades was put on the spot, ‘in a dangerous position…slated to die.’
Put on the Spot Today Means….
American criminals continued with the expression, giving it wide use. Early in this century it took on a less sinister meaning…though being ‘put on the spot’ is still someone in danger of great failure or embarrassment if they don’t produce successful results within a short time.
taken from Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson
Don’t you just hate that feeling that comes with being put on the spot? Love to read your comments!
Yes, I do hate being put on the spot!
I have a friend who asks question after question- to the point it feels like an interrogation rather than a conversation sometimes. I’ve tried to explain to her that her line of questioning makes me uncomfortable (putting me on the spot), but she stills does it more often than not.
Good lesson on the origin of this phrase Donna- I love when you post these!
Linda Kinsman recently posted..Today isn’t the Luau
Oh, ouch! That’s a tough one, Linda, especially when we call them ‘friends’.