in a pickle

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in a pickle

Where it comes from

The term refers to being in pickling solution, presumably unpleasant. It was first used in English by William Shakespeare in The Tempest (1611), although the phrase had been used in Dutch earlier.

phrase

idiomatic, informal In a difficult situation or a troubling quandary. How cam'ſt thou in this pickle? / Tri. I haue bin in ſuch a pickle ſince I ſaw you laſt, / That I feare me will neuer out of my bones:
Similar: in a fix, troubled

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MLA

"in a pickle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/in%20a%20pickle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

in a pickle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/in%20a%20pickle

Chicago

"in a pickle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/in%20a%20pickle.

BibTeX

@misc{in_a_pickle_2026,
  title = {in a pickle},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/in%20a%20pickle},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}