between the devil and the deep blue sea
(Redirected from between the devil and the deep sea)
English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (AU) (file)
Prepositional phrase[edit]
between the devil and the deep blue sea
- (idiomatic) Between undesirable alternatives.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:dilemma, Thesaurus:difficult situation
Related terms[edit]
- devil seam (“the seam between garboard strake and the keel”) (a seam on wooden boats)
Translations[edit]
between undesirable alternatives — see between a rock and a hard place
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea on Wikipedia.Wikipedia - “between the devil and the deep blue sea”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- Michael Quinion (2004) “Between the devil and the deep blue sea”, in Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, →ISBN.
