Meanings
- UKidiomaticWith the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary.
The sinner / Will testify / They'll suffer / When sacrificed on high / The burning sermons purge their evil words / Between the hammer and the anvil
1990, Judas Priest, Between The Hammer and the Anvil1 more example
Yet for a time the nation was again placed between the democracy of the levellers and the despotism of the Stuarts, — between the hammer and the anvil.
1848, Jean Henri Merle d'Aubigné, The Protector, a vindication, page 250Synonyms: between a rock and a hard place, between Scylla and Charybdis, between the devil and the deep blue sea, between a rock and a hard place, between Scylla and Charybdis, between the devil and the deep blue sea, between two fires, damned if one does and damned if one doesn't
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseWith the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary.
Origin
Referring to the metal on a blacksmith's anvil, which is beaten with a hammer.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic بَيْنَ ٱلْمِطْرَقَةِ وَٱلسِّنْدَانِ
- بَيْنَ ٱلْمِطْرَقَةِ وَٱلسِّنْدَانِ (bayna l-miṭraqati was-sindāni)with the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
Bulgarian между чука и наковалнята
- между чука и наковалнята (meždu čuka i nakovalnjata)with the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
Finnish puun ja kuoren välissä
- puun ja kuoren välissäwith the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
French entre le marteau et l'enclume, la peste ou le choléra
- entre le marteau et l'enclumewith the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
- la peste ou le cholérawith the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
German zwischen Hammer und Amboss
- zwischen Hammer und Ambosswith the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
Greek μεταξύ σφύρας και άκμονος
- μεταξύ σφύρας και άκμονος (metaxý sfýras kai ákmonos)with the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
Hebrew בֵּין הַפַּטִּישׁ וְהַסַּדָּן
- בֵּין הַפַּטִּישׁ וְהַסַּדָּן (bein hapatísh vehasadán)with the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
Italian tra l'incudine e il martello
- tra l'incudine e il martellowith the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
Polish między młotem a kowadłem
- między młotem a kowadłemwith the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
Romanian prins între ciocan și nicovală
- prins între ciocan și nicovalăwith the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
Russian между молотом и наковальней
- между молотом и наковальней (meždu molotom i nakovalʹnej)with the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
Swedish mellan hammaren och städet
- mellan hammaren och städetwith the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
Yiddish צווישן האַמער און קאָוואַדלע
- צווישן האַמער און קאָוואַדלע (tsvishn hamer un kovadle)with the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options
Cite this entry
between the hammer and the anvil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/between%20the%20hammer%20and%20the%20anvil
“between the hammer and the anvil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/between%20the%20hammer%20and%20the%20anvil. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “between the hammer and the anvil,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/between%20the%20hammer%20and%20the%20anvil.
Source: between the hammer and the anvil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.