English

Prepositional phrase

between a rock and a hard place

1. (idiomatic, US) To be bankrupt.
2. (idiomatic) To be in a difficult and inescapable position.
3. (idiomatic) Having the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary.
   • 1970, David Sim, "Tangent":

     Husbands, it seems to me, are caught between the Rock of Feminism and the Hard Place of their own marriages […]

   • 2008 Sept. 11, Eric Dash and Geraldine Fabrikant, "Washington Mutual stock falls on investor fears", New York Times (retrieved 24 Aug 2012):

     If Washington Mutual needs to raise capital quickly, it will very likely find itself between a rock and a hard place, because credit markets have all but closed their doors to troubled banks.

Synonyms

• (facing an unpleasant choice): (caught) between the devil and the deep blue sea, between Scylla and Charybdis, be on the horns of a dilemma

Translations