> as lemmas

1564 T. Dorman Proufe Certeyne Articles in Relig. f. 92 Yow maie haue cause to thincke, that yow holde by the worst ende of the staffe.

1599 T. Nashe Lenten Stuffe 51 Which had the worst end of the staffe in that sea iourney or canuazado.

1616 R. Cocks Let. in W. Foster Lett. E. India Company from Servants in East (1900) (modernized text) IV. 98 If others will be so foolish to cut their bellies for love (or rather lust) after whores, the worst end of the staff will be their own.

1636 A. Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae (new ed.) 1204 Perceive then ye have then The worst end of the tree.

1680 W. Charleton Enq. Human Nature iii. 137 They that are on the Affirmative part, seem to me to have the worst end of the staff.

1718 D. Defoe Family Instructor II. i. 172 The ladies, if they are enclin'd to find Fault, will perhaps say, I..give them the worst End of the Staff.

1788 P. Gibbes Niece III. xxi. 89 It was ever her way..on perceiving she had the worst end of an argument, to make up in clamour, what she wanted in reason or justice.

1813 Crit. Rev. Feb. 220 Mr. Chubb foreseeing he would have the worst end of the staff in an engagement of this nature, betook himself to his usual resource of calling upon the Lord to have mercy on him.

1835 F. O. J. Smith Let. Post Office Dept. U.S. 22 It is most certain that the contractor had the worst end of the bargain by many thousands of dollars.

1919 Bull. National Tax Assoc. Dec. 80/2 With total exemption of all buildings from taxation, I think the working man is getting the worst end of the stick.

1987 R. Bujang Boria iii. 28 They then leave the stage together, Ah Chong still complaining that he seems to be getting the worst end of the bargain.

2016 Hindu (Nexis) 24 June No wonder women, however strong-willed, get the worst end of the stick.