If you go off having left A Parting Shot then you have left a victim with a final blow or withering remark that they have no chance of responding to. The phrase’s origins are linked to the Parthians, an ancient race living in Southwest Asia. Skilled warriors, their battle tactics included getting mounted archers to ride away from their enemy, giving the impression of retreat. Once the enemy was pursuing, they would twist backwards and fire with deadly accuracy. The first references in English literature to the Parthians was during the 1600s. The phrase “parthian shot” then became a popular phrase for “parting blow” until the early 1900s, when the similarity between “parthian” and “parting” led to its corruption.