Englishhave one's back to the wall
Meaning: To be in a difficult or desperate situation.
Example: “With three bills due and no paycheck, she had her back to the wall.”
Equivalents in other languages
Japanese: 四面楚歌 (Shimensoka) Literally: Four sides all singing Chu songs
French: Être dos au mur Literally: To be back to the wall
Origin: Rooted in hand-to-hand combat: standing with one's back against a literal wall stops an attack from behind, but it also seals off any route of retreat, leaving no option but to keep fighting. The phrase dates to the first half of the 1500s, describing a fighting force making a last stand rather than an orderly withdrawal. It reached its most famous moment on April 11, 1918, when British Field Marshal Douglas Haig, facing the German Spring Offensive, issued a Special Order of the Day telling his troops: "With our backs to the wall, and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight on to the end."
More English idioms
- burn one's bridges To take a course of action that makes it impossible to go back.
- by word of mouth The informal, verbal passing of information from one person to another.
- catch someone's eye To attract someone's visual attention.
- change of heart A reversal of attitude.
- cold feet Too scared to do something.
- cut off one's nose to spite one's face To injure oneself in the process of seeking revenge or attempting to punish someone.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Faulpelz A lazybones — someone who lounges around and avoids any effort, as warm and inert as a fu…
- Griesgram A perpetual grump who radiates dissatisfaction and sucks the joy out of every room.
- Pantoffelheld A man who is only bold and brave at home — a henpecked pushover who bluster turns into a…
Keep exploring