in a bind

Idioms and Phrases

Also, in a box or hole or jam or tight corner or tight spot . In a difficult, threatening, or embarrassing position; also, unable to solve a dilemma. For example, He's put us in a bind: we can't refuse, but at the same time we can't fill the order , or Jim's in a box; he can't afford to pay what he owes us , or He quit without giving notice and now we're really in a hole , or We always end up in a jam during the holiday season , or He's in a tight corner with those new customers , or We'll be in a tight spot unless we can find another thousand dollars . All these colloquial terms allude to places from which one can't easily extricate oneself. The phrase using bind was first recorded in 1851; box , 1865; jam , 1914; tight spot , 1852. Also see in a fix .

Related Words

• belated
• delayed
• delinquent
• overdue
• sluggish