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have the wolf by the ear

To be in a difficult situation - a dangerous situation from which one cannot disengage, but in which one cannot safely remain.

Etymology:

  • Initially attributed to Roman Emperor Tiberius circa year 0 AD, by biographer C. Suetonius Tranquillus
  • US, 1820, by Thomas Jefferson, writing about the institution of slavery and the Missouri compromise:
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Submitted on July 07, 2010

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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to have the wolf by the ear

have the tiger by the tailhave tohave tickets on oneselfhave the blueshave to do with the price of fishhave the time of your lifehave the time of one's lifehave the last laughhave something to eathave wordshave time on one's sidehave the run ofhave the goodshave the world by the tail

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