to cast aspersions
verb phrase

- to criticize or make damaging remarks or judgments about someone or something

- to criticize (someone or someone’s actions or character) harshly or unfairly

The Cambridge Dictionary / Merriam-Webster

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PHRASE ORIGIN

The word "aspersion", an 'unfavourable remark or slander', stems from the Latin aspersionem, meaning 'a sprinkling'. It originally referred to the shedding of Christ’s blood and also means 'to baptize by sprinkling'.

Around the middle of the 17th century, “aspersion” began to refer to the figurative idea that a person was sprinkling his neighbourhood with damaging imputations or false statements. Our modern phrase “to cast aspersions” seems to have been first used in 1749 by Henry Fielding in his novel ‘Tom Jones’.

Together with the verb “cast”, meaning 'to throw', “cast aspersions” is just a formal way of expressing doubt about someone’s character, a favourite pastime of politicians these days.

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SYNONYMS

- to belittle or express a low opinion of someone or something

anathematize, back-bite, backstab, bad-mouth, bash, bawl out, be contemptuous about (of), beef about, belittle, bellyache about, blacken someone’s character (name, reputation), blemish, blot, bring discredit to, bring into disfavour (disrepute), bring under fire, cast a slur on (upon), CAST ASPERSIONS on, cock a snook (at), cold-shoulder, conduct a smear campaign against, curl one’s lip (at), disrespect, diss, do a hatchet job on, do a number on, do down, downcry, drag someone’s name through the mire (mud), fling mud at, frown on (upon), give someone a roasting (a bad press,some stick, the brush-off, what for, have a go at, heap scorn on, jawbone, jeer (at), keelhaul, kiss off, lampoon, look askance (at), look down at (on), look down one’s nose at, mock, mudsling, parody, poke fun at, pooh-pooh, reduce to the ranks, roast, rollick, satirise, shoot full of holes, slap on the wrist, soft-pedal, soil someone’s name, sound off (about), sully the reputation of, take down a peg or two, take to the woodshed, thumb one’s nose, thumbs down on, turn up one’s nose (at), vilify, vituperate (against), weigh into, whine (about), whinge (about), write off

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“It’s always better to give constructive feedback than to CAST ASPERSIONS.”

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THANKS to Avril for suggesting today’s phrase!

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and,

Paul Smith, IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40