Out of the frying pan, into the fire

1. Going from a bad situation to one that is even worse.

This saying often refers to the necessity of making a choice between equally difficult options.

Idioms and Phrases

From a bad situation to one that is much worse. For example, After Karen quit the first law firm she went to one with even longer hours—out of the frying pan into the fire. This expression, a proverb in many languages, was first recorded in English in 1528.