German phrase of the day: Im Stich lassen

If you've ever been let down at a critical moment, then you know what it means to be im Stich gelassen.

The German phrase, whose English equivalent is "to leave in the lurch" or "to leave hanging", is used to describe the act of not providing the expected support or assistance to someone when they need it the most, and conveys a sense of betrayal or disappointment.

For example, if a friend promises to help you with a project but then doesn't show up when you need them, you might say: er hat mich im Stich gelassen.

As the word Stich means "stab" or "bite", literally, the phrase translates as "to be left in the stab", which doesn't make much sense unless you know where the phrase comes from.

Originally, the expression was used in the context of knightly jousting tournaments in the Middle Ages.

If a knight fell off his horse during a tournament, he wouldn't be able to get up on his own as he would be weighed down by his heavy armour, so it would be up to his squire to help him get back on the horse.

However, if the squire didn't help him out, the knight would be left defenceless in the Stich or "stab" of his opponent's lance. 

Use it like this:

Du hast mich in der Gruppenarbeit einfach im Stich gelassen.

You just left me in the lurch during the group project. 

Es fühlt sich schrecklich an, von Freunden im Stich gelassen zu werden.

It feels terrible to be let down by friends

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