be left to twist in the wind

To be left to deal with the fallout of a very difficult, troublesome, or problematic situation. We were really left to twist in the wind when our project manager decided to take her vacation right before the project's deadline! The government made the sudden decision not to continue funding the aid program, and many residents across the country have been left to twist in the wind as a result. Tom said he'd help me with this repair, but I was left to twist in the wind when his ex-girlfriend suddenly came back to town.

twist in the wind, be left to

Be abandoned; be exposed to blame or severe criticism. This slangy term alludes to the body of a hanged man left dangling in the air, and indeed twisted was slang for “hanged” in the 1700s. In modern times the phrase was initially used by John Ehrlichmann in 1973, when it was applied to President Nixon’s withdrawal of support for his own nominee in the face of strong opposition, who was then left to “twist in the wind.” It has since been applied to similar situations and is on its way to clichédom. Also see out on a limb.