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Out of the frying pan, into the fire

Meaning: Escaping one bad situation only to end up in a worse one.

Origin: Ancient Greek proverb, adopted into English via Thomas More in 1532.

Translations

  • French: Tomber de Charybde en Scylla (literally: To fall from Charybdis to Scylla)
  • Spanish: Salir de Guatemala para entrar en Guatepeor (literally: Leaving Guate-bad to enter Guate-worse)
  • Japanese: 一難去ってまた一難 (Ichinan satte mata ichinan) (literally: One trouble passes, another arrives)

More proverbs about Challenge

  • The road to success is paved with failure — Success requires learning from mistakes.
  • Walk softly and carry a big stick — Act gently but maintain the power to enforce if needed.
  • Opportunity knocks but once — Chances don't come twice; seize them when they appear.
  • The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward — Greater rewards require greater risks.
  • Divide and conquer — Achieve dominance by breaking opposition into smaller parts.
  • When it rains, it pours — Troubles often come all at once.

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