one's damned if one does, and one's damned if one doesn't
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
English
[edit]Phrase
[edit]one's damned if one does, and one's damned if one doesn't
- Alternative form of damned if one does and damned if one doesn't.
- 1912 June 27, “Talks on ‘Mince Meat’; Observations by Heffernan; Scottish Union Man Injects Some Humor into the Proceedings at Cedar Rapids”, in The Western Underwriter, 16th year, number 26, Chicago, Ill.; Cincinnati, Oh., part II, page 6, column 2:
- To be between the Devil and the deep sea, is a simile oftimes quoted to describe distress, but Brother Stewart is not only between the Devil and the deep sea, but it would appear that his Satanic Majesty has not only gotten a firm hold on him, but the watery elements have him practically submerged. He’s damned if he does, and he’s damned if he doesn’t, and carrying water on both shoulders is a small task compared to naming a rate that will be satisfactory to all concerned.
- 1980, Allen F. Breed, “Women in Correctional Employment”, in Proceedings of the One Hundred and Ninth Annual Congress of Correction of the American Correctional Association, American Correctional Association, page 251:
- No male correctional officer has ever been asked to meet his lieutenant at a nearby bar or apartment, nor has he been faced with the innuendo that rejection of advances will have an impact on future assignments and promotions. The repercussions for a female correctional officer in a similar situation are literally that she’s damned if she does, and she’s damned if she doesn’t.
- 2005, Barbara Murphy, “The Poverty of Single Parents on Welfare”, in Eating the Wedding Gifts: Lean Years After Marriage Break-up, Winnipeg, Man.: J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing Inc., →ISBN, page 42:
- Society has mixed messages for the divorced mother who tries to keep a job when she has young children. She’s damned if she does, and she’s damned if she doesn’t.