Looking for a verb to use to describe what the rock is doing to you when you're between a rock and a hard...
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You have two stationary objects eg a rock and a hard place. If you were standing between them and they were both against you, would you say the rock was "pressing" you into the hard place? Would the rock be "holding" you?
single-word-requests
edited Dec 6 at 6:14
Laurel
29.4k655104
asked Dec 6 at 6:04
Peter Lynch
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You have two stationary objects eg a rock and a hard place. If you were standing between them and they were both against you, would you say the rock was "pressing" you into the hard place? Would the rock be "holding" you?
single-word-requests
edited Dec 6 at 6:14
Laurel
29.4k655104
asked Dec 6 at 6:04
Peter Lynch
465
This expression is not really about the rock doing anything to you. It's implying that you have two options. One is a rock, and the other is a hard place. In other words, both options are basically the same (a "hard place" basically being a rock). It's similar to expressions like "six and one half-dozen" … which means that both options are the same, so there's no real choice.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:33
I was using rock and a hard place as an example of two immovable objects. Would it be better if I said a brick wall and a bouncer with you sandwiched between the wall and the bouncer? What is the wall doing to you?
– Peter Lynch
Dec 6 at 7:38
1
Oh, I see. If it's stopping you from getting away, perhaps something like this: Constraining you, hemming you in, blocking your way, blocking you in, confining or corralling you, trapping you … A few ideas.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:42
I like "corralling". I'm Australian so we don't use that expression at all. Thanks.
– Peter Lynch
Dec 6 at 7:44
No worries. I'm Australian, and it seems standard enough to me … although I don't get to use it much, admittedly. I think of it applying more to a group than an individual, tbh, but not sure if that's the case.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:48
|
show 5 more comments
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
You have two stationary objects eg a rock and a hard place. If you were standing between them and they were both against you, would you say the rock was "pressing" you into the hard place? Would the rock be "holding" you?
single-word-requests
edited Dec 6 at 6:14
Laurel
29.4k655104
asked Dec 6 at 6:04
Peter Lynch
465
You have two stationary objects eg a rock and a hard place. If you were standing between them and they were both against you, would you say the rock was "pressing" you into the hard place? Would the rock be "holding" you?
single-word-requests
single-word-requests
edited Dec 6 at 6:14
Laurel
29.4k655104
asked Dec 6 at 6:04
Peter Lynch
465
edited Dec 6 at 6:14
Laurel
29.4k655104
asked Dec 6 at 6:04
Peter Lynch
465
edited Dec 6 at 6:14
Laurel
29.4k655104
edited Dec 6 at 6:14
Laurel
29.4k655104
edited Dec 6 at 6:14
Laurel
29.4k655104
29.4k655104
asked Dec 6 at 6:04
Peter Lynch
465
asked Dec 6 at 6:04
Peter Lynch
465
asked Dec 6 at 6:04
Peter Lynch
465
465
This expression is not really about the rock doing anything to you. It's implying that you have two options. One is a rock, and the other is a hard place. In other words, both options are basically the same (a "hard place" basically being a rock). It's similar to expressions like "six and one half-dozen" … which means that both options are the same, so there's no real choice.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:33
I was using rock and a hard place as an example of two immovable objects. Would it be better if I said a brick wall and a bouncer with you sandwiched between the wall and the bouncer? What is the wall doing to you?
– Peter Lynch
Dec 6 at 7:38
1
Oh, I see. If it's stopping you from getting away, perhaps something like this: Constraining you, hemming you in, blocking your way, blocking you in, confining or corralling you, trapping you … A few ideas.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:42
I like "corralling". I'm Australian so we don't use that expression at all. Thanks.
– Peter Lynch
Dec 6 at 7:44
No worries. I'm Australian, and it seems standard enough to me … although I don't get to use it much, admittedly. I think of it applying more to a group than an individual, tbh, but not sure if that's the case.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:48
|
show 5 more comments
This expression is not really about the rock doing anything to you. It's implying that you have two options. One is a rock, and the other is a hard place. In other words, both options are basically the same (a "hard place" basically being a rock). It's similar to expressions like "six and one half-dozen" … which means that both options are the same, so there's no real choice.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:33
I was using rock and a hard place as an example of two immovable objects. Would it be better if I said a brick wall and a bouncer with you sandwiched between the wall and the bouncer? What is the wall doing to you?
– Peter Lynch
Dec 6 at 7:38
1
Oh, I see. If it's stopping you from getting away, perhaps something like this: Constraining you, hemming you in, blocking your way, blocking you in, confining or corralling you, trapping you … A few ideas.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:42
I like "corralling". I'm Australian so we don't use that expression at all. Thanks.
– Peter Lynch
Dec 6 at 7:44
No worries. I'm Australian, and it seems standard enough to me … although I don't get to use it much, admittedly. I think of it applying more to a group than an individual, tbh, but not sure if that's the case.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:48
This expression is not really about the rock doing anything to you. It's implying that you have two options. One is a rock, and the other is a hard place. In other words, both options are basically the same (a "hard place" basically being a rock). It's similar to expressions like "six and one half-dozen" … which means that both options are the same, so there's no real choice.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:33
This expression is not really about the rock doing anything to you. It's implying that you have two options. One is a rock, and the other is a hard place. In other words, both options are basically the same (a "hard place" basically being a rock). It's similar to expressions like "six and one half-dozen" … which means that both options are the same, so there's no real choice.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:33
I was using rock and a hard place as an example of two immovable objects. Would it be better if I said a brick wall and a bouncer with you sandwiched between the wall and the bouncer? What is the wall doing to you?
– Peter Lynch
Dec 6 at 7:38
I was using rock and a hard place as an example of two immovable objects. Would it be better if I said a brick wall and a bouncer with you sandwiched between the wall and the bouncer? What is the wall doing to you?
– Peter Lynch
Dec 6 at 7:38
1
1
Oh, I see. If it's stopping you from getting away, perhaps something like this: Constraining you, hemming you in, blocking your way, blocking you in, confining or corralling you, trapping you … A few ideas.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:42
Oh, I see. If it's stopping you from getting away, perhaps something like this: Constraining you, hemming you in, blocking your way, blocking you in, confining or corralling you, trapping you … A few ideas.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:42
I like "corralling". I'm Australian so we don't use that expression at all. Thanks.
– Peter Lynch
Dec 6 at 7:44
I like "corralling". I'm Australian so we don't use that expression at all. Thanks.
– Peter Lynch
Dec 6 at 7:44
No worries. I'm Australian, and it seems standard enough to me … although I don't get to use it much, admittedly. I think of it applying more to a group than an individual, tbh, but not sure if that's the case.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:48
No worries. I'm Australian, and it seems standard enough to me … although I don't get to use it much, admittedly. I think of it applying more to a group than an individual, tbh, but not sure if that's the case.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:48
|
show 5 more comments
1 Answer
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Generally, the rock and the "hard place" represent stymies . The verb is to stymie.
The meaning is that one will have a very hard time going anywhere but where he is.
Being "caught between a rock and a hard place" is a sort of humorous way of saying
Being caught between two hard places
or
Being caught between two rocks.
The saying in itself does not express being pressed, but being trapped.
answered Dec 6 at 23:34
J. Taylor
4,13331224
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
Generally, the rock and the "hard place" represent stymies . The verb is to stymie.
The meaning is that one will have a very hard time going anywhere but where he is.
Being "caught between a rock and a hard place" is a sort of humorous way of saying
Being caught between two hard places
or
Being caught between two rocks.
The saying in itself does not express being pressed, but being trapped.
answered Dec 6 at 23:34
J. Taylor
4,13331224
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
Generally, the rock and the "hard place" represent stymies . The verb is to stymie.
The meaning is that one will have a very hard time going anywhere but where he is.
Being "caught between a rock and a hard place" is a sort of humorous way of saying
Being caught between two hard places
or
Being caught between two rocks.
The saying in itself does not express being pressed, but being trapped.
answered Dec 6 at 23:34
J. Taylor
4,13331224
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Generally, the rock and the "hard place" represent stymies . The verb is to stymie.
The meaning is that one will have a very hard time going anywhere but where he is.
Being "caught between a rock and a hard place" is a sort of humorous way of saying
Being caught between two hard places
or
Being caught between two rocks.
The saying in itself does not express being pressed, but being trapped.
answered Dec 6 at 23:34
J. Taylor
4,13331224
Generally, the rock and the "hard place" represent stymies . The verb is to stymie.
The meaning is that one will have a very hard time going anywhere but where he is.
Being "caught between a rock and a hard place" is a sort of humorous way of saying
Being caught between two hard places
or
Being caught between two rocks.
The saying in itself does not express being pressed, but being trapped.
answered Dec 6 at 23:34
J. Taylor
4,13331224
edited Dec 6 at 23:51
answered Dec 6 at 23:34
J. Taylor
4,13331224
answered Dec 6 at 23:34
J. Taylor
4,13331224
answered Dec 6 at 23:34
J. Taylor
4,13331224
4,13331224
add a comment |
add a comment |
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This expression is not really about the rock doing anything to you. It's implying that you have two options. One is a rock, and the other is a hard place. In other words, both options are basically the same (a "hard place" basically being a rock). It's similar to expressions like "six and one half-dozen" … which means that both options are the same, so there's no real choice.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:33
I was using rock and a hard place as an example of two immovable objects. Would it be better if I said a brick wall and a bouncer with you sandwiched between the wall and the bouncer? What is the wall doing to you?
– Peter Lynch
Dec 6 at 7:38
1
Oh, I see. If it's stopping you from getting away, perhaps something like this: Constraining you, hemming you in, blocking your way, blocking you in, confining or corralling you, trapping you … A few ideas.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:42
I like "corralling". I'm Australian so we don't use that expression at all. Thanks.
– Peter Lynch
Dec 6 at 7:44
No worries. I'm Australian, and it seems standard enough to me … although I don't get to use it much, admittedly. I think of it applying more to a group than an individual, tbh, but not sure if that's the case.
– ralph.m
Dec 6 at 7:48