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paint oneself into a corner

To create a predicament or problem for oneself; to do something that leaves one with no good alternatives or solutions.

Etymology:

  • From the idea that a person painting the floor of a room may inadvertently apply the paint everywhere except the corner that the person is standing in, so that to leave the room the person has no choice but to step on the freshly painted floor and damage it.
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Submitted on September 01, 2009

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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to paint oneself into a corner

make intooccupy oneselfpour honey into one's earmake a pig of oneselfpaint the town redmake a name for oneselfpress into serviceplough intopaint your back door red!make a fool of oneselfplough intopaint with a broad brushmake an exhibition of oneselfpaint the wagon

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    "paint oneself into a corner." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 22 Dec. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/paint-oneself-into-a-corner_5991>.

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