Search results
The phrase 'Between a rock and a hard place' means faced with a choice between two unsatisfactory options. It originated in the USA in the early part of the 20th century, from a situation of mineworkers faced with a choice between harsh and underpaid work at the rock-face or unemployment and poverty. The phrase is also known as 'on the horns of a dilemma' or 'the lesser of two evils'.
A phrase that means facing two equally unpleasant, dangerous, or risky alternatives, where the avoidance of one ensures encountering the harm of the other. See also synonyms, origin, and usage examples from various sources.
Learn the various meanings and uses of the word rock, from a verb meaning to move back and forth to a noun meaning a hard place. Find synonyms, examples, phrases, and word history of rock.
People also ask
What does be between a rock and a hard place mean?
Was your team caught between a rock and a hard place last?
What is the idiomatic phrase between a rock and a hard place?
What does stuck between a rock and a hard place mean?
Learn the meaning and usage of the idiom be (caught) between a rock and a hard place, which means to be in a very difficult situation and to have to make a hard decision. See examples, synonyms, translations and related words.
- Meaning of Between A Rock and A Hard Place
- Is It Stuck Or Caught Between A Rock and A Hard place?
- Between A Rock and A Hard Place Etymology/Origin
- Synonyms For A Rock and A Hard Place
- Between A Rock and A Hard Place Sentence Examples
- Bottom Line
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
We use the idiom between a rock and a hard place to describe a situation where you or someone else has to make a very difficult decision between two equally undesirable optionsor outcomes. In other words, it’s used to convey a dilemma or a predicament where there are no good choices. A good example is my kids. There are two of them, and I can’t be ...
Even though the original phrase is just between a rock and a hard place, it’s super common to hear variations like stuck between a rock and a hard place or caught between a rock and a hard place. All these variations will convey the same meaning of being in a tough situation with no easy solutions, so use whichever you want. Either way, use the phr...
The phrase originated in the United States sometime in the early 20th century. It’s said to have first been used by miners in Bisbee, Arizona, who in 1912 had to choose between facing the hard conditions in the mines (the rock) or the equally difficult conditions outside them (the hard place). One of the earliest printed citations of the phrase is ...
Here are a handful of synonymous phrases you can use instead. 1. Between the devil and the deep blue sea 2. On the horns of a dilemma 3. In a pickle 4. Hobson’s choice 5. Between Scylla and Charybdis 6. In a tight spot
With rising rent and decreasing income during the recession, Jake found himself between a rock and a hard place.Our government’s caught between a rock and a hard place to either increase taxes on the people or face a nasty budget deficit.Choosing between her career and her family left Magda feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place because she loved them both.I was caught between real a rock and a hard place last when I had to choose between going to my brother’s funeral on the other side of the country or staying here for my mother’s funeral.This is one idiom that never really has a positive connotation unless you use it jokingly to poke fun at how the two choices at hand are both amazing. And if you ever forget what it means, just picture James Franco in the movie 127 Days, where he was literally stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Learn the origin, meaning, and usage of the idiom between a rock and a hard place, which describes a situation where you or someone else has to make a very difficult decision between two equally undesirable options or outcomes. See examples, synonyms, and related articles on this phrase.
- Author
Learn the meaning and origin of the idiom between a rock and a hard place, which means facing two equally difficult or dangerous choices. See examples, synonyms, and related phrases from Dictionary.com.
Mar 13, 2024 · Prepositional phrase [ edit] between a rock and a hard place. ( idiomatic) In a difficult and inescapable position. [from early 20th c.] ( idiomatic) Having the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary . Synonyms: between Scylla and Charybdis, between the devil and the deep blue sea; see also Thesaurus ...
