between a rock and a hard place
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between a rock and a hard place
Where it comes from
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.
phrase betwixt a rock and a hard place
- In a difficult and inescapable position. 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
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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 […]
Similar: between Scylla and Charybdis, between the devil and the deep blue sea, between a rock and a hard place, between the hammer and the anvil, between two fires, damned if one does and damned if one doesn't, doomed if you do, doomed if you don't, in a cleft stick, in bad bread, on the horns of a dilemma
Translations
Every language
prep_phrase in a difficult and inescapable position
| Español | entre la espada y la pared, entre la cruz y el agua bendita |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 진퇴양난 jintoeyangnan, 빼도 박도 못한다 ppaedo bakdo mothanda |
| हिन्दी | आगे कुआँ पीछे खाई āge kuā̃ pīche khāī |
| Português | entre a cruz e a espada, entre a cruz e a caldeirinha, entre a espada e a parede |
| Français | entre le marteau et l'enclume, entre l'arbre et l'écorce, pris entre deux feux |
| Deutsch | in der Zwickmühle, zwischen Hammer und Amboss, zwischen den Stühlen, zwischen Baum und Borke, weder ein noch aus wissen |
| Italiano | tra l'incudine e il martello |
| Ελληνικά | μπρος γκρεμός και πίσω ρέμα bros gkremós kai píso réma |
| Română | între ciocan și nicovală |
| Русский | ме́жду мо́лотом и накова́льней méždu mólotom i nakoválʹnej, ме́жду двух огне́й méždu dvux ognéj |
| Tiếng Việt | tiến thoái lưỡng nan |
| العربية | بَيْنَ المِطْرَقَة وَالسِّنْدَان bayna l-mitraqa wa s-sindān |
| עברית | בֵּין הַפַּטִּישׁ וְהַסַּדָּן bein hapatísh vehasadán |
prep_phrase having the choice between two unpleasant options
| Español | entre la espada y la pared |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 進退兩難 /进退两难 jìntuìliǎngnán |
| Português | entre a cruz e a espada, entre a espada e a parede |
| Français | entre la peste et le choléra, entre le marteau et l'enclume |
| Deutsch | zwischen Pest und Cholera |
| Italiano | fra l'incudine ed il martello |
| Ελληνικά | μπρος γκρεμός και πίσω ρέμα bros gkremós kai píso réma |
| Русский | ме́жду двух огне́й méždu dvux ognéj, ме́жду мо́лотом и накова́льней méždu mólotom i nakoválʹnej |
| العربية | أَمامَ خِيارَيْنِ أَحْلاهُمَا مُرّ ʔamāma ḵiyārayni ʔaḥlāhumā murr |
Talk about this word "between a rock and a hard place." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/between%20a%20rock%20and%20a%20hard%20place. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. between a rock and a hard place. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/between%20a%20rock%20and%20a%20hard%20place "between a rock and a hard place." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/between%20a%20rock%20and%20a%20hard%20place.Cite this
@misc{between_a_rock_and_a_hard_place_2026,
title = {between a rock and a hard place},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/between%20a%20rock%20and%20a%20hard%20place},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
