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Context: I am working with my PM on a project, and there are a lot of questions coming from the team regarding our project, like how it works, why it would benefit our users, etc. We have worked very hard on it.

One day, he sends me this message:

I feel like you are going to throw a shoe at me.

I recommend we present the project use cases, solution, and any tech/visual designs to the leadership by end of August.

What does he mean by "going to throw a shoe at me."?

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    This is not relevant to the substance of the question, but in formulating questions on this site, one should bear in mind that it is intended for a wide audience that has in common only its general interest in the language; abbreviations that are highly context-specific should therefore be avoided. To most English speakers, PM, when the context does not specify otherwise, is an abbreviation of prime minister, and it is unlikely that this is its intended meaning here.
    – jsw29
    Jul 21, 2022 at 21:28
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    PM has several different meanings, even within a single industry (although good luck understanding the difference between a product manager, a project manager, and a program manager). Although I guess it's not particularly relevant to the anecdote, it's useful to know if the PM is your boss or someone you have a more distant relationship with.
    – Stuart F
    Jul 21, 2022 at 22:55

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Your PM is saying that you might get angry or exasperated with him, but he recommends the work to be ready much sooner than he probably thinks you expected, (when you've done so much already). It may be intended as self-irony in a humorous way. So basically, read it as, Sorry to stress you you even more, but... hurry up.

To throw a/one's show at someone is an expression used to show protest, and we have seen incidents in different Parliaments of the world where this was not an expression, but a real gesture which can even involve both shoes as you can see that it happened to Bush (see link). About this expression, Wikipedia says:

Shoe-throwing, or shoeing, showing the sole of one's shoe or using shoes to insult are forms of protest in many parts of the world. Shoe-throwing as an insult dates back to ancient times, being mentioned in verse 8 of Psalm 60 [over Edom will I cast out my shoe] and the similar verse 9 of Psalm 108 in the Old Testament. Modern incidents where shoes were thrown at political figures have taken place in Australia, India, Ireland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and most notably the Arab world.

It's interesting to see how this expression was used for a long time with relatively the same frequency on both sides of the ocean, but has recently known a decline in the UK.

enter image description here

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  • Actually, I was tying to edit my own post while being signed out, and the system recognised me as an anonymous user...
    – fev
    Jul 21, 2022 at 20:21
  • Thanks for the explanation! That is very helpful!
    – whynotlh
    Jul 21, 2022 at 20:56
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    Unless you’re Jennifer Hudson
    – Jim
    Jul 22, 2022 at 16:35
  • @Jim Yes, her compliment gesture is not suited to the OP's context :)
    – fev
    Jul 22, 2022 at 16:36

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