have the wolf by the ear en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
Initially attributed to Roman Emperor Tiberius circa year 1 AD by biographer C. Suetonius Tranquillus. United States, 1820, Thomas Jefferson, writing about the institution of slavery and the Missouri Compromise: : "But, as it is, we have the wolf by the ear, and we can neither hold him nor safely let him go. Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other." :: — Thomas Jefferson to John Holmes (discussing slavery and the Missouri question), Monticello, 22 April 1820
Meanings
- (idiomatic) To be in a dangerous situation from which one cannot disengage, but in which one cannot safely remain.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| had the wolf by the ear | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| had the wolf by the ear | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| having the wolf by the ear | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| has the wolf by the ear | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Synonyms
have a tiger by the tail · on the horns of a dilemma
Translations (6)
la auribus teneo lupum (to be in a difficult situation) · fr tenir le loup par les oreilles (to be in a difficult situation) · fi olla kahden tulen välissä (to be in a difficult situation) · ms ditelan mati emak, diluah mati bapak (to be in a difficult situation) · pl znaleźć się w trudnej sytuacji (to be in a difficult situation) · pl znajdować się w trudnej sytuacji (to be in a difficult situation)
wikipedia: Thomas Jefferson · wikipedia: Tiberius · wikipedia: Missouri Compromise