twist in the wind

present singular third person twists in the wind · participle present twisting in the wind · participle past twisted in the wind · past twisted in the wind

1. idiomaticTo be unassisted and without comfort in a situation likely to result in distress or failure.

   There seemed to be a shared perception of Colonel North as a good and honorable serviceman who had been left to twist in the wind, the scapegoat of an operation gone awry.

   1987 July 12, William E. Schmidt, “Iran-Contra Hearings”, in New York Times, retrieved 23 Aug 2008

2. idiomaticTo wait for an uncomfortably long period of time.

   McGuinty just says, "Don't worry, the investigation will be over soon enough, we'll do something in due course," and people are expected to twist in the wind in the meantime.

   2008 August 21, Josh Wingrove, “Toronto facing $2-million cleanup bill”, in Globe and Mail, Canada