ENGLISH
REFERENCE

missing stair

idiom
Meaning

A member of a community who is widely but privately known within that community for abusiveness or other harmful behavior that has not been addressed.


Origin

first recorded 21st c.

Coined by blogger Cliff Pervocracy (a pseudonym) in 2012. In analogy to a stairway missing a step, with guests expected to overcome or bypass the obstacle rather than it being fixed.

Examples
SIMPLE

Everyone knows he is a missing stair in our office.

CONTEXTUAL

We all avoid the manager because he is a missing stair, but nobody ever reports his behavior to human resources.

COMPLEX

The community tolerated him as a missing stair for years, silently warning newcomers about his conduct rather than confronting the underlying problem.

Anchors to
Related idioms3entries
  1. 01

    apples and pears

    [Cockney slang]stairs

  2. 02

    come down in stair rods

    To rain heavily in long streaks.

  3. 03

    not know what one is missing

    To be missing out on something enjoyable.

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