between a rock and a hard place
板挟みで
解説 Definition
どちらを選んでも不利になる苦しい状況に置かれていること。進退きわまった板挟み。
This idiom means being in a difficult situation where both choices are bad or uncomfortable. It is used when someone feels trapped between two problems or pressures. It often describes stress in work, relationships, or important decisions.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
まず形で覚えると残りやすい表現です。"between A and B" は「AとBの間で」、そのA/Bが rock と hard place という、どちら側に行っても痛そうで逃げ場のない組み合わせ。つまり「二択なのに両方つらい」という絵がそのまま意味になります。単なる be in trouble より、「上司にも客にも押される」ように板挟み感が強い場面で使うのがコツ。be caught in the middle に近いですが、こちらは特に“どちらを選んでも不利”という苦しさが前面に出ます。
Picture your body stuck between a rock on one side and a hard place on the other. Both sides sound painful, so neither choice feels good. That image helps you remember it is used when someone is trapped between two bad options.
例文
She was between a rock and a hard place — accept the pay cut or lose her job entirely.
彼女は板挟みだった。減給を受け入れるか、仕事を完全に失うかの二択だった。
The mayor found himself between a rock and a hard place, unable to satisfy both the developers and the environmentalists.
市長は開発業者と環境保護派の両方を満足させることができず、板挟みの状態になった。
I'm between a rock and a hard place: if I tell the truth, I'll hurt her feelings, but if I lie, she'll find out eventually.
私は板挟みだ。本当のことを言えば彼女を傷つけるし、嘘をつけばいずれバレてしまう。
between a rock and a hard place の類義語・関連語
類義語
対義語
between a rock and a hard place の語源・成り立ち Etymology
『between a rock and a hard place』は20世紀アメリカ英語で、岩と固い場所の間に挟まれる逃げ場のなさをいう。placeは古フランス語経由でギリシア語plateiaに連なり、plazaやpiazzaも同根なので、物理的に身動きできない像がそのまま『板挟み』の意味になった。
This American English idiom became common in the early 20th century. It uses a vivid picture of being trapped between a rock and another hard surface, with no easy way out. The word "place" came into English through Old French and goes back to Greek roots also seen in "plaza" and "piazza," but in this idiom the main force is the image of physical confinement becoming a metaphor for a difficult choice.
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