stick in someone's craw
Remain annoyingly unacceptable
Something that sticks in your craw irritates or rankles you, often because it feels unfair or wrong.
The craw is a bird's crop—the pouch where food sits before digestion—so the image is of something you can't swallow or digest: It still sticks in my craw that he got promoted over me.
The phrase suggests persistent, nagging resentment rather than explosive anger.
- annoyanceState of being bothered
- grievanceFormal claim of unfairness
- sore pointTender emotional topic
- bone to pickComplaint requiring confrontation
- hit a nerveTrigger emotional sensitivity
rub the wrong way · resentment · injustice · dissatisfaction · frustration · offense · gall · rankle · indignation · hard to swallow · leave a bad taste · bitterness · eat away at · vexation · irritation · exasperation · festering · disagreement
stick in someone's crawwater off a duck's back
Criticism having no effect
forgive and forget · let bygones be bygones · come to terms with · let go · let it go
stick in someone's craweasy to swallow
stick in someone's crawslide down