Paint yourself in to a corner

Posted by TheFallen on May 11, 2003

In Reply to: Paint your self in to a corner posted by S. on May 11, 2003

: Any idea where the expression "paint your self in to a corner comes from"?

: Thanks for any assistance.

Home decorating? If you're painting a floor, it's always good to ensure you finish at where the doorway is, rather than "painting yourself into a corner" and therefore having to tread all over the fresh paint, thus ruining your hard work. Hence the figurative use, meaning having no acceptable options left to take, owing to one's own errors.