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  • Out of the frying pan, into the fire
    Out of the frying pan, into the fire
    Going from a bad situation to one that is even worse.
  • out of the frying pan into the fire
    out of the frying pan into the fire
    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.

Out of the frying pan, into the fire

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


out of the frying pan into the fire Idioms  
  1. 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.


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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"When you get him out of the frying-pan into the fire?"

From The Side Of The Angels A Novel by King, Basil

An eel may wriggle itself "out of the frying-pan, into the fire;" but it cannot wriggle itself back again out of the fire, even into the frying-pan.

From Modern Skepticism: A Journey Through the Land of Doubt and Back Again A Life Story by Barker, Joseph

Then they develop a squint, melt, and finally run out of the frying-pan into the fire, thus Balaam.

From The Chocolate Soldier Heroism—The Lost Chord of Christianity by Studd, C. T.

We may be skipping out of the frying-pan into the fire, but one can only die once.

From A Hero of Li?ge by Strang, Herbert

At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.

From Held by Chinese Brigands by Strang, Herbert

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