Draw the short straw means to be the person chosen for an unpleasant job, an unfair burden, or the least favorable result, usually by chance rather than by merit.
The expression comes from a simple selection method. People would hold straws of different lengths, often hidden in the hand, and each person would draw one. Whoever got the shortest straw was the one selected. Because that person was often picked for an unwanted duty, the image became a metaphor for bad luck.
Today, the phrase is used even when no actual drawing happens. It often suggests that someone ended up with the worst option in a group situation.
- I drew the short straw and had to stay late to close the office.
- When the flights were canceled, we drew the short straw and got the last hotel room near the airport.
You can use it for both tasks and outcomes. In some contexts, it also carries a slight sense of unfairness, even if the result was random.