Between the devil and the deep blue sea

This expression meaning that one is caught in a dilemma or a difficult, no-win predicament dates from the 17th century. The expression is first cited in Robert Monro’s military memoirs, dated 1637, when he writes, "I, with my partie, did lie on our poste, as betwixt the devill and the deep sea." Note there is no reference to ‘blue’, which was only added later. The origin of the expression remains unproven. Some say it is a reference to the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt when they were caught between the devil (the pursuing Egyptians) and the sea. One is tempted to ask why not the Red Sea rather than the blue sea, and the long gap between the biblical event and its first citation in 1637 is hard to explain. Other sources maintain it has a nautical origin in that the seams between a ship’s planking on its hull were known as ‘devils’. Sailors were often called upon to caulk such planking with pitch or tar while at sea and when lowered over the ship’s side to do such work, sailors would find themselves in perilous situations, literally between the devils, the seams between the ship’s planking, and the deep blue sea. It appears, however, the expression was in use well before this nautical meaning came on the scene. Therefore, the biblical and nautical origins remain unconvincing. Perhaps the simplest explanation is the most likely, namely that to be between the devil and deep blue sea is to be caught between two very dangerous options, a situation to be avoided at all costs.