Idiom
Monday morning quarterback
Meanings
Someone who criticizes decisions after the outcome is known, often with the benefit of hindsight.
Definition
A "Monday morning quarterback" is someone who criticizes or judges a decision after the outcome is known.
A "Monday morning quarterback" is a person who gives confident opinions about what should have been done after an event has already ended. The idea comes from American football, where people analyze the game after it is over. It often suggests unfair or unhelpful hindsight criticism because it is easier to be right after you know the result.
Examples
- It’s easy to be a Monday morning quarterback after the project fails.
- Don’t be a Monday morning quarterback—tell us your concerns before we decide.
- The coach ignored the Monday morning quarterbacks on social media.
- I’m not trying to be a Monday morning quarterback, but we should have tested it first.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use this for any criticism, but it specifically refers to criticism made after the outcome is already known.
More at C1 level
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- not cricket Used to say that something is unfair, dishonest, or not acceptable.
More noun phrases
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- long shot A long shot is something that has a very small chance of success but is still possible.