se correr o bicho pega, se ficar o bicho come

Portuguese

Meaning

damned if you do, damned if you don't; trapped between two bad choices

Example

O acordo me deixa sem saída: se correr o bicho pega, se ficar o bicho come.

The deal leaves me trapped: damned if I do, damned if I don't.

Origin

This anonymous popular saying pictures a trap with no safe direction: run and the beast catches you; stay and it eats you. That image became a compact way to describe two choices that both end badly.

Create a free account to read the full origin

Source: Temporal Editora — Se correr o bicho pega, se ficar o bicho come.

Practice idioms with the Idiom Trainer

Falando's Idiom Trainer teaches you to recognize idiom meanings and create sentences using them, so you can speak like a Brazilian.

Try the Idiom Trainer Create a free account

More idioms

achar-se a última bolacha do pacoteto think you're God's gift; to consider yourself more important than you are um olho no peixe, outro no gatoto keep an eye on two things at once, especially while guarding against a risk em rio que tem piranha, jacaré nada de costasin a dangerous situation, even the strong take extra precautions quando um burro fala, o outro abaixa a orelhawhen one person is speaking, the other should listen and not interrupt matar a cobra e mostrar o pauto do what you claimed and show proof; to prove what you're capable of