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You are here: Home / Language / What Does the “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” Mean and Where Did the Expression Come From?

What Does the “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” Mean and Where Did the Expression Come From?

April 4, 2020 by Karen Hill

To be “between the Devil and the deep blue sea” has largely been replaced by being “between a rock and a hard place,” which came out of Arizona and originally meant to be bankrupt.

The Devil is the seam of a sailing ship’s hull, which was reinforced to support cannons and was where a board was fastened for those forced to walk the plank.

The condemned sailor couldn’t turn back, so his only option was the deep blue sea.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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