I had to pick up the flak

This was mentioned by a plaintiff who said she had a hard boss.  At first blush, it seems like just the misuse of a word (flak instead of slack),  but I believe it is also a malaphor, mixing “pick up the slack” (do the work of someone else) and “taking flak” (receiving strong criticism).  “Pick up the pace” (increase the rate that something is done) might actually be the phrase the speaker intended, based on the context.  Muchas gracias to Sam Edelmann for hearing this one and passing it on!