Sep 29, 2017 · between the devil and the deep blue sea: in a difficult situation where there are two equally unpleasant choices. ORIGIN. The Latin equivalents of this phrase [see below] that its first known users gave in the 17th century show that it most probably originated in the image of a choice between damnation (“the devil”) and drowning (“the sea”).

The phrase between the devil and the deep blue sea is an idiom that offers two equally terrible choices. People use this phrase to outline the difficulty they face making a decision because both options are horrible.

"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is an American popular song published in 1931, [1] with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Ted Koehler, and first recorded by Cab Calloway in 1931. It was introduced in the 1931 Cotton Club show Rhythmania [2] …

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Between the Devil and the deep blue sea'? In difficulty, faced with two dangerous alternatives. What's the origin of the phrase 'Between the Devil and the deep blue sea'? – The short answer: No one knows for sure how this expression originated.

"Between the devil and the deep blue sea" is an idiom meaning a dilemma. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea may also refer to: Between the Devil and the Deep Sea. A Dash by Plane to Seething Morocco, a 1924 book by Knud Holmboe.

BE BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA definition: 1. to have two choices that are both equally unpleasant or not convenient 2. to have two choices…. Learn more.

If you are between the devil and the deep blue sea, you are in a difficult situation where the two possible courses of action or choices that you can take are equally bad. I can see you're caught between the devil and the deep blue sea — if you support your daughter, your partner will be hurt.

Between the devil and the deep blue sea has an echo in the phrase between Scylla and Charybdis. The latter phrase also refers to being stuck between two undesirable (and dangerous) options. The phrase appears with this meaning in the mid-1500s. It draws from Greek mythology.