Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

What does it means "to be on the short side"?

Some said to me "Well that's nice enough if you'rea bit on the short side". English is not my native languate, so could you explain to me what does this expresion means?

Thanks a lot.

3 Answers

Relevance
  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    This term originates from the sport of golf, it has come to mean you don't have enough.. If you want to buy a car for $4000 but you only have $3500, you are "on the short side".

    In the context you gave it could be a reference to your height, where "short side" would imply that you are shorter than the average.

    Definition: "Short side" refers to the position of a golfer's ball in relation to the position of the cup on the green. The "short side" of the green is the side to which the hole is cut.

    The term is usually used in reference to shots that miss the green. Let's say the flagstick is place on the right-hand side of the green. A golfer whose approach shot misses the green to the right is on the short side, and might be said to have "short sided" himself.

    It's called the short side because there is less green (the green is shorter, so to speak) for the golfer to work with on that side. A chip shot from the right, to a flagstick that is placed close to the right-hand side of the green, has a much greater chance of running well past the hole.

    Television announcers often refer to this by saying the golfer "doesn't have much green to work with."

    If the hole is cut in the back part of the green, then a golfer missing long is on the short side, and so on.

  • jonz4
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    To be at a disadvantage.

  • 1 decade ago

    uuummmm... it could mean your not very tall.... or not very smart..... or a lot of diferent things

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.