ENGLISH
REFERENCE

Monday-morning quarterback

idiom
Meaning

Someone who criticizes with hindsight.


Origin

disputed origin

Professional football games in the United States are most often played on Sundays, making Monday a likely day for fans to discuss and critique the performances of teams, in particular that of the quarterback who leads the offence on the field. However, there is evidence that the term actually derived in college football, which is usually played on Saturdays, in which case the use of Monday would also likely be on account of Sunday being the Christian sabbath and a traditional day of rest in the U.S., making it unlikely certain groups with a common interest in the game (such as co-workers) would meet before Monday.

Examples
SIMPLE

Don't be a Monday-morning quarterback about my decision.

CONTEXTUAL

It is easy to be a Monday-morning quarterback after the project fails, but you offered no help when we started.

COMPLEX

While the board members were quick to act as Monday-morning quarterbacks regarding the failed merger, they had remained silent during the initial planning stages.

Anchors to
Related idioms1entry
  1. 01

    armchair quarterback

    A person who watches sports on television, typically American football, who often verbally suggests plays or critiques the players and coaches.

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