Upon further reflection, the phrase parting shot caught my attention. Originally, I thought it simply meant a final remark before leaving. However, I was surprised to discover its roots in the term Parthian shot! This term originated from a challenging military tactic used by the Parthian people of Ancient Persia. It involved retreating archers on horseback turning around to shoot behind them. Over time, this tactic became a metaphor in English, evolving into the modern expression we know today. The term Parthian derives from the Old Persian root p-r-th-n, which also denoted the general region. According to Google NGrams, the literary usage of parting shot peaked in 2015 and has been on a decline since.
