in a cleft stick

In a problematic or difficult situation; having only undesirable or unfavorable options from which to choose. (From the image of being wedged into a crack in a stick, unable to move.) Primarily heard in UK, Australia. Well, we're caught in a cleft stick now! Do we start pushing the car towards town, or hope that someone passes by with a can of petrol? With such unlikable candidates, the public has been left in a cleft stick.

in a cleft stick

BRITISH, OLD-FASHIONED

If you are in a cleft stick, you are in a difficult situation which you cannot solve easily. I'm in something of a cleft stick — whatever I do, I'll upset someone. Note: This expression may refer to the practice of trapping snakes by holding them down behind the head with a cleft stick (= stick that is Y-shaped at the end).

词组	in a cleft stick
释义	in a cleft stick in a cleft stick In a problematic or difficult situation; having only undesirable or unfavorable options from which to choose. (From the image of being wedged into a crack in a stick, unable to move.) Primarily heard in UK, Australia. Well, we're caught in a cleft stick now! Do we start pushing the car towards town, or hope that someone passes by with a can of petrol? With such unlikable candidates, the public has been left in a cleft stick. See also: cleft, stick Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. in a cleft stick BRITISH, OLD-FASHIONED If you are in a cleft stick, you are in a difficult situation which you cannot solve easily. I'm in something of a cleft stick — whatever I do, I'll upset someone. Note: This expression may refer to the practice of trapping snakes by holding them down behind the head with a cleft stick (= stick that is Y-shaped at the end). See also: cleft, stick Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. See also: land up in (something) Let every man skin his own skunk. reconcile (oneself) to (something) reconcile oneself to dodge dodge a bullet take it one day at a time take it/things one day at a time take things one day at a time lesser of two evils
随便看	the cards beat all the players the cards/odds are stacked against somebody/something the cards/odds are stacked in favour of somebody/something the carpet matches the drapes the carpets match the drapes the carriage trade the carrot and/or stick the casting couch the catbird seat the cat has got someone's tongue the cat is out of the bag the cat's got (one's) tongue the cat's meow the cat's pajamas the cat's whiskers the cat's whiskers/pyjamas the cat that ate the canary the cat that swallowed the canary the cat would eat fish, but would not wet her feet the center of attention the chair the chance, etc. of a lifetime the change (of life) the change of life the changes