To be between a rock and a hard place is to be trapped between two alternatives that are equally bad. It refers to a situation when, for example, you are suspended precariously from a rock;trying to get back up and letting go are both tough options.
Sample Usage
1. When the tsunami hit the beach resort and flooded the premises, the guests were caught between a rock and a hard place.
2. The lift failed to operate and the staircase was filled with smoke, so the tenants were trapped between a rock and a hard place.
3. If the swimmer refused to give the dope test, he would face allegations of being a drug user and if he agreed the traces of the banned substance would surely show up – he was nicely caught between a rock and a hard place.
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