a blot on escutcheon
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a blot on (one's) escutcheon
A stain or mark against one's reputation or that of one's family. An escutcheon was a heraldic shield that bore a family's coat of arms, and thus serves as a metaphor for one's honor. I was at the top of my class in college, but that narcotics charge will be a blot on my escutcheon for years to come.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
a blot on (one's) escutcheon
Dishonor to one's reputation.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.