in a cleft stick
English · Thesaurus
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in a cleft stick
Where it comes from
From the metaphor of being caught in a tight position, unable to move.
phrase
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In a difficult situation, unable to choose between unfavourable options; in a dilemma.
Ha! I see. You have got me in a cleft stick.
Similar: on the horns of a dilemma, between a rock and a hard place, between Scylla and Charybdis, between the devil and the deep blue sea, 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
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see in, cleft, stick. Hence when a Huichol woman is about to weave or embroider, her husband catches a large serpent and holds it in a cleft stick, while the woman strokes the reptile with one hand down the whole length of its back; …
Talk about this word "in a cleft stick." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/in%20a%20cleft%20stick. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. in a cleft stick. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/in%20a%20cleft%20stick "in a cleft stick." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/in%20a%20cleft%20stick.Cite this
@misc{in_a_cleft_stick_2026,
title = {in a cleft stick},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/in%20a%20cleft%20stick},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
