Words & TermsEveryday life
rough end of the pineapple
An unfair or unfavourable deal or outcome.
In a sentence
Customers felt they had received the rough end of the pineapple.
Where it came from
The Australian National Dictionary Centre records get the rough end of the pineapple as an Australian expression from 1959.
- Initial era
- 1950–1999
- Where used
- Australian use; no narrower regional pattern established