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Between a rock and a hard place

Between a rock and a hard place

Meaning

Between two unwelcome options.

Examples

The only choices I have are poverty or a boring job – I’m between a rock and a hard place.

Where did it originate?

USA, 20th century. Sometimes mistakenly thought to come from Homer’s Odyssey.

Where is it used?

Worldwide.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Between a rock and a hard place

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