Proverb or expression for a situation with two choices, both leading to a different kind of trouble


I'm searching for a proverb or expression that describes a situation which has two choices or two ways out (that is, somewhat of a forced choice) where both lead to some kind of trouble (but not the same trouble).


As an example: Let's say that you can chose to go either left or right. If you go left, you will have to fight your way through an army of trolls. If you go right, you will have to go through a desert without any food or water for one week.



Answer



The most common English phrase for this is between a rock and a hard place. It means:



In difficulty, faced with a choice between two unsatisfactory options.



Specifically, to say you are caught between a rock and a hard place means that you are in a dilemma. The exact dilemma seems to be exactly what you're describing--Morton's fork, which is:



a choice between two equally unpleasant alternatives (in other words, a dilemma), or two lines of reasoning that lead to the same unpleasant conclusion. It is analogous to the expressions "between the devil and the deep blue sea," "between a rock and a hard place," or, as those in the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world say, "Between a cross and a sword." This is the opposite of the Buridan's Ass.



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