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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 the wind uphave to do with the price of tea in chi…have tickets on oneselfhave uphave the run ofhave the time of your lifehave the blueshave tohave truck withhave the goodshave the floorhave wordshave words

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