Two choices, both bad

October 5th, 2009 at 07:00am Barry Wood

The dictionary’s third definition of “dilemma” is “any serious problem,” and it gives “predicament” as a synonym. This is about as loose as usage can get.

The word comes from the Greek “di-” for “two” and “lemma” for “proposition.” Its original sense, and still its first definition, is “an argument necessitating a choice between equally unfavorable or disagreeable alternatives.”

Its second definition expands its reach beyond arguments to any situation presenting two such options — in other words, “between a rock and a hard place.”

There are many kinds of problems, and many words for them, including the aforementioned “predicament,” “plight,” “quandary,” “pickle” and “fix.

Let’s keep “dilemma” for those no-win situations where there are two choices and both stink. To be “on the horns of a dilemma” is a particularly unpleasant place to be.

Entry Filed under: strict usage, word origins