Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
between a rock and a hard place
English answer:
in a very difficult situation
Added to glossary by
airmailrpl
Dec 15, 2004 06:56
19 yrs ago
4 viewers *
English term
state of the art subtitle translation
Native in: Indonesian 
Works in: English to Indonesian, Indonesian to English, English to Javanese, and 1 more.
between a rock and a hard place
Homework / test
English
Other
Slang
idiom (?)
I'm telling you, that girl was a Georgia peach, and she was the apple of my eye to boot. But I was between a rock and a hard place and didn't have so much as a pot to piss in. The thing is, if I had it to do all over again, it'd be a whole different story, you can bank on that.
Does "between a rock and a hard place" here mean literally, or is it an idiom? Thank you.
Does "between a rock and a hard place" here mean literally, or is it an idiom? Thank you.
Responses
Responses
+11
5 mins
airmailrpl
Brazil
Brazil
Native in English
&
English
Brazil
Technical - Fast - good price - accurate
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
, Portuguese (Variant: Brazilian)
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
32
Selected
in a very difficult situation
between a rock and a hard place => in a very difficult situation
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Note added at 10 mins (2004-12-15 07:06:23 GMT)
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Between A Rock And A Hard Place ( stuck between two opposing forces )
To say that one is stuck \"between a rock and a hard place\" stresses that there are two forces which are restricting one\'s movement. Often it is the opposite direction of these forces that causes the sticking point. One is unable for some particular reason to do something that one would like to do, such as act or not act in a certain way. \"I\'d like to help you but I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.\" To have someone between a rock and a hard place is to have them in a position that causes them to make a choice that they don\'t want to make. \"You\'ve got me between a rock and a hard place; I\'ll sell it to you at the price you quoted.\"
http://www.goenglish.com/BetweenARockAndAHardPlace.asp
between a rock and a hard place =>in a difficult position, making a difficult choice, => Sophie\'s choice..If I told the truth, I would lose my friend. I was between a rock and a hard place.
http://home.t-online.de/home/toni.goeller/idiom_wm/id71.htm
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Note added at 22 mins (2004-12-15 07:18:40 GMT)
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Idioms:
between a rock and a hard place
Confronted with equally unpleasant alternatives and few or no opportunities to evade or circumvent them.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=rock
Idiom: between the devil and the deep blue sea
In a situation where the alternatives are equally undesirable.
Thesaurus: in trouble, desperate, in difficulty, between a rock and a hard place.
http://www.allwords.com/word-between the devil and the deep ...
-- \"between a rock and a hard place (in a difficult situation where the person cannot escape pain or failure)
http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/schools/barrett/webquest/idio...
If you find yourself caught between a rock and a hard place, it means that you are in a very awkward position and have to make a difficult choice. For example, If I told the truth, I would lose my friend. I was caught between a rock and a hard place.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/edu/edu_back/010716/vocab.sh...
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Note added at 10 mins (2004-12-15 07:06:23 GMT)
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Between A Rock And A Hard Place ( stuck between two opposing forces )
To say that one is stuck \"between a rock and a hard place\" stresses that there are two forces which are restricting one\'s movement. Often it is the opposite direction of these forces that causes the sticking point. One is unable for some particular reason to do something that one would like to do, such as act or not act in a certain way. \"I\'d like to help you but I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.\" To have someone between a rock and a hard place is to have them in a position that causes them to make a choice that they don\'t want to make. \"You\'ve got me between a rock and a hard place; I\'ll sell it to you at the price you quoted.\"
http://www.goenglish.com/BetweenARockAndAHardPlace.asp
between a rock and a hard place =>in a difficult position, making a difficult choice, => Sophie\'s choice..If I told the truth, I would lose my friend. I was between a rock and a hard place.
http://home.t-online.de/home/toni.goeller/idiom_wm/id71.htm
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Note added at 22 mins (2004-12-15 07:18:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Idioms:
between a rock and a hard place
Confronted with equally unpleasant alternatives and few or no opportunities to evade or circumvent them.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=rock
Idiom: between the devil and the deep blue sea
In a situation where the alternatives are equally undesirable.
Thesaurus: in trouble, desperate, in difficulty, between a rock and a hard place.
http://www.allwords.com/word-between the devil and the deep ...
-- \"between a rock and a hard place (in a difficult situation where the person cannot escape pain or failure)
http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/schools/barrett/webquest/idio...
If you find yourself caught between a rock and a hard place, it means that you are in a very awkward position and have to make a difficult choice. For example, If I told the truth, I would lose my friend. I was caught between a rock and a hard place.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/edu/edu_back/010716/vocab.sh...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Gillian Scheibelein
19 mins
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thank you
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| agree |
Dr Sue Levy (X)
: once upon a time, we used to say "in a terrible dilemma" :-D
53 mins
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thank you
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| agree |
Richard Benham
: I was going to put in my own answer, but I think your notes cover it. I think the expression combines the concepts of a choice between unpleasant alternatives and of being under pressure: that's why It'susually "stuck" or "caught between...".
1 hr
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thank you
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| agree |
Tony M
1 hr
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thank you
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| agree |
vixen
2 hrs
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thank you
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| agree |
Annika Neudecker
: Definitely!
3 hrs
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thank you
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| agree |
Balaban Cerit
4 hrs
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thank you
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| agree |
NancyLynn
5 hrs
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thank you
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| agree |
Asghar Bhatti
11 hrs
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thank you
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| agree |
Lisa Russell
14 hrs
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thank you
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| agree |
Egmont
1 day 4 hrs
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thank you
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you for your time."
+4
5 mins
idiom
It's an idiom meaning in a difficult situation, one where you have to choose between two things, both of which are unpleasant.
HTH
HTH
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Richard Benham
59 mins
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| agree |
Tony M
1 hr
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| agree |
Balaban Cerit
4 hrs
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| agree |
James Girard
1 day 7 hrs
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-1
5 mins
broke, without a dime to his name, hard up
In this case, I think it means he can't afford to pursue her, but in other contexts it could have a different meaning. Not having a pot to piss in mean to be very poor.
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Tony M
: Well, I don't doubt that the man in question is broke --- but this really can't be said to be the 'standard' meaning of this specific idiom /// Sorry Ruth, I didn't know it was like that in AE...
1 hr
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In the US it can, and I assume from the 'Georgia peach" that it is
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| neutral |
Richard Benham
: I think Yohanes needs to find separate translations for the two expressions. I'd say the text is designed to test his knowledge of the *standard* meanings of cliched metaphors.//WRT Dusty's point, I think being broke is one of the horns of his dilemma.
1 hr
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This is often the meaning of 'between a rock and a hard place' in the US
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+3
1 hr
Richard Benham
France
France
Native in English
&
English
France
When quality counts
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
under conflicting pressures
I think that a couple of the answers submitted so far are quite good, but don't capture the essence of the concept. So I have changed my mind and decided to submit my own answers.
The difference between being (caught) "between a rock and a hard place" and say being in a dilemma is that the former has the overtones that there are conflicting pressures acting on you. If you are in a dilemma, there may be nothing and no-one actively exerting pressure on you, apart from the mere knowledge that, for example, if you choose X you will miss out on Y and vice versa.
Presumably this guy feels under financial pressure to save money, and perhaps moral pressure not to marry the girl and condemn her to poverty, but is under pressure in the opposite direction from his, hmmm, basic instincts in respect of the girl....
The text, BTW, seems to have been contrived in order to string together as many clichés into as few words as possible. It is not at all credible as English.
The difference between being (caught) "between a rock and a hard place" and say being in a dilemma is that the former has the overtones that there are conflicting pressures acting on you. If you are in a dilemma, there may be nothing and no-one actively exerting pressure on you, apart from the mere knowledge that, for example, if you choose X you will miss out on Y and vice versa.
Presumably this guy feels under financial pressure to save money, and perhaps moral pressure not to marry the girl and condemn her to poverty, but is under pressure in the opposite direction from his, hmmm, basic instincts in respect of the girl....
The text, BTW, seems to have been contrived in order to string together as many clichés into as few words as possible. It is not at all credible as English.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
vixen
32 mins
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Thanks.
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| agree |
Balaban Cerit
2 hrs
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Thanks.
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| agree |
NancyLynn
: esp with your last statement
3 hrs
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Thanks. (Yohanes said it was from a test or homework--I think they're testing his ability to translate clichés!)
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+1
2 hrs
an impossible situation
an impossible situation: either choice, either choice, if it was a choice, would mean giving up something, or suffering for the negative consequences of the choice.
Discussion
It is an idiom. And now you are "between a rock and a hard place" as you have a three way tie in terms of time for the suggestions!!