Definition of: "between the devil and the deep blue sea" with explanation and origin
Definition of: between the devil and the deep blue sea with explanation and origin? Meaning of between the devil and the deep blue sea with examples in English idiom dictionary.
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Definition of: "between the devil and the deep blue sea" with explanation and origin
between the devil and the deep blue sea
between the devil and the deep blue sea
Meaning
- between two equally difficult or unacceptable choices.
- a person is stuck between two bad choices.
- a person must do wrong or accept a loss no matter what they do.
Example Sentences
- I am in a pickle. Anything I do is going to cause this situation to turn out bad. I’m really stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.
- No matter what I do, I’m going to end up losing my job. If I tell my boss, they will fire me. If I don’t say anything, they will eventually find out and I could face jail time. I’m literally stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.
- Look, we have to get out of these woods because the wildfire will eventually kill us all. However, we can only get to safety by going through the Devil’s Gate. We are truly stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.
- Trying to please both his boss and his wife puts him between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Origin
In the 1600’s seafaring was a part of a huge global trade. Sailors had to navigate the deep blue seas to sell merchandise and to trade goods. Sailors who went on these journeys had to caulk or protect the hull of their vessels that was closest to the water. If they didn’t their ships would be torn apart. This problem was also complicated because it was easy for a sailor to die while performing this task. Sailors and shipmen created this phrase because of this situation.
The idiom “between the devil and the deep blue sea” is not commonly used in modern language. It is an old-world expression that is sometimes used by people within seafaring or maritime industries.
The Origins of between the devil and the deep blue sea
Colour, Devil, OceanEnglish
Related Dictionary
- English Definition & Meaning Dictionary
- English Idioms and phrases Dictionary
- Dictionnaire Français
- Dictionnaire d'expressions idiomatiques et de phrases en français
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English Idioms and phrases
An idiom is a common word or phrase with a figurative, non-literal meaning that is understood culturally and differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest; i.e. the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words (although some idioms do retain their literal meanings – see the example "kick the bucket" below). By another definition, an idiom is a speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements.[3] For example, an English speaker would understand the phrase "kick the bucket" to mean "to die" – and also to actually kick a bucket. Furthermore, they would understand when each meaning is being used in context.
To evoke the desired effect in the listener, idioms require a precise replication of the phrase: not even articles can be used interchangeably (e.g. "kick a bucket" only retains the literal meaning of the phrase but not the idiomatic meaning).
Idioms should not be confused with other figures of speech such as metaphors, which evoke an image by use of implicit comparisons (e.g., "the man of steel"); similes, which evoke an image by use of explicit comparisons (e.g., "faster than a speeding bullet"); or hyperbole, which exaggerates an image beyond truthfulness (e.g., "more powerful than a locomotive"). Idioms are also not to be confused with proverbs, which are simple sayings that express a truth based on common sense or practical experience.
