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to be strongly criticized or blamed
What does "to take the flak" mean in slang?
The structure uses "flak" (a German acronym for anti aircraft cannon fire, FLiegerAbwehrKanone) as a metaphor for harsh criticism, forming a verb phrase that compares verbal attacks to explosive shelling. It is used to describe being strongly criticized or blamed for something, often while protecting others from the same heat. People typically say someone "took the flak" when they absorbed the blame on behalf of a team or accepted public backlash. The term originated in World War II military slang, where pilots "took flak" from enemy guns, and later entered civilian language in the 1960s and 1970s, especially in politics and business.
