Dictionary

between a rock and a hard place en · ADP

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio

Etymology

Originated in the United States before 1918 in the Southwest, possibly in connection with mining. Related to the concept of the Ancient Greeks: between Scylla and Charybdis.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) In a difficult and inescapable position.
   • A dish gone awry after adding the wrong ingredient. Chewing your way through this won't be fun, but it will fill you up when you're between a rock and a hard place. 2017 March 3, Nintendo EPD, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nintendo, description for Rock-Hard Food
   • After meeting again that afternoon with Donna, Wilbur had advised her that she was indeed between a rock and a hard place. She could not hope to recover and build back the lost business until the suits were settled, and it appeared that the only way to settle the suits without going to court was to liquidate the mortuary assets or tap into the Clifton's personal funds. 2008, David Merde, Beyond Final Arrangements, page 511:
2. (idiomatic) Having the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary.
   • Husbands, it seems to me, are caught between the Rock of Feminism and the Hard Place of their own marriages […] 1970, David Sim, Tangent:
   • If Washington Mutual needs to raise capital quickly, it will very likely find itself between a rock and a hard place, because credit markets have all but closed their doors to troubled banks. 2008 September 11, Eric Dash, Geraldine Fabrikant, “Washington Mutual stock falls on investor fears”, in New York Times, retrieved 24 Aug 2012:

Forms

Synonyms

doomed if you don't · between two fires · between Scylla and Charybdis · in a cleft stick · doomed if you do · damned if one does and damned if one doesn't · between the hammer and the anvil · between the devil and the deep blue sea · in bad bread · between a rock and a hard place · between Scylla and Charybdis · on the horns of a dilemma · between the devil and the deep blue sea

Translations (73)

ko 빼도 박도 못한다 (in a difficult and inescapable position) · yue 進退兩難 /进退两难 (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · ru ме́жду мо́лотом и накова́льней (in a difficult and inescapable position) · nan-hbl 進退兩難 /进退两难 (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · pt entre a cruz e a espada (in a difficult and inescapable position) · de zwischen Hammer und Amboss (in a difficult and inescapable position) · es entre la espada y la pared (in a difficult and inescapable position) · sv mellan två eldar (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · la a fronte praecipitium, a tergo lupi (in a difficult and inescapable position) · ar أَمامَ خِيارَيْنِ أَحْلاهُمَا مُرّ (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · gd eadar a' chlach is an sgrath (in a difficult and inescapable position) · de weder ein noch aus wissen (in a difficult and inescapable position) · de in der Zwickmühle (in a difficult and inescapable position) · hu két tűz között (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · it fra l'incudine ed il martello (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · fr entre l'arbre et l'écorce (in a difficult and inescapable position) · sv mellan pest och kolera (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · ru ме́жду двух огне́й (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · he בֵּין הַפַּטִּישׁ וְהַסַּדָּן (in a difficult and inescapable position) · nl (kiezen) tussen pest en cholera (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · fi kahden tulen välissä (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · pt entre a espada e a parede (in a difficult and inescapable position) · de zwischen Baum und Borke (in a difficult and inescapable position) · is milli tveggja elda (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · fi kiipelissä (in a difficult and inescapable position) · is á milli steins og sleggju (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · nn mellom borken og veden (in a difficult and inescapable position) · ml ചെകുത്താനും കടലിനുമിടയിൽ (in a difficult and inescapable position) · ar بَيْنَ المِطْرَقَة وَالسِّنْدَان (in a difficult and inescapable position) · fi puun ja kuoren välissä (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · is á milli steins og sleggju (in a difficult and inescapable position) · fi valita ruton ja koleran väliltä (in a difficult and inescapable position) · ca entre l'espasa i la paret (in a difficult and inescapable position) · fr entre la peste et le choléra (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · it tra l'incudine e il martello (in a difficult and inescapable position) · hu két malomkő között (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · fr entre le marteau et l'enclume (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · da (valge) mellem pest og kolera (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · es entre la espada y la pared (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · is milli tveggja elda (in a difficult and inescapable position) · eo esti inter martelo kaj amboso (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · hu kutyaszorító (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · ro între ciocan și nicovală (in a difficult and inescapable position) · ru ме́жду двух огне́й (in a difficult and inescapable position) · tr iki arada bir derede (in a difficult and inescapable position) · gd eadar a' chlach is an sgrath (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · fr entre le marteau et l'enclume (in a difficult and inescapable position) · pt entre a cruz e a espada (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · de zwischen den Stühlen (in a difficult and inescapable position) · hak 進退兩難 /进退两难 (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · es entre la cruz y el agua bendita (in a difficult and inescapable position) · cs dvěma mlýnskými kameny (in a difficult and inescapable position) · cmn 進退兩難 /进退两难 (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · hi आगे कुआँ पीछे खाई (in a difficult and inescapable position) · pl między młotem a kowadłem (in a difficult and inescapable position) · hu nehéz helyzetben (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · yi צווישן האַמער און קאָוואַדלע (in a difficult and inescapable position) · pt entre a cruz e a caldeirinha (in a difficult and inescapable position) · ko 진퇴양난 (in a difficult and inescapable position) · la inter sacrum saxumque (in a difficult and inescapable position) · pl między młotem a kowadłem (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · nb mellom barken og veden (in a difficult and inescapable position) · fi puun ja kuoren välissä (in a difficult and inescapable position) · el μπρος γκρεμός και πίσω ρέμα (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · ru ме́жду мо́лотом и накова́льней (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · hu nem tudja, melyik ujját harapja le (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · sv i valet och kvalet (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · pt entre a espada e a parede (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · fr pris entre deux feux (in a difficult and inescapable position) · de zwischen Pest und Cholera (having the choice between two unpleasant options) · vi tiến thoái lưỡng nan (in a difficult and inescapable position) · el μπρος γκρεμός και πίσω ρέμα (in a difficult and inescapable position) · gd eadar dà chloich (in a difficult and inescapable position)