Scylla

American  

[sil-uh] / ˈsɪl ə /

noun

1. Modern Name Scilla.  a rock in the Strait of Messina off the S coast of Italy.

2. Classical Mythology. a sea nymph who was transformed into a sea monster: later identified with the rock Scylla.

---

idioms

1. between Scylla and Charybdis, between two equally perilous alternatives, neither of which can be passed without encountering and probably falling victim to the other.

Scylla British  

/ ˈsɪlə /

noun

1. Greek myth a sea nymph transformed into a sea monster believed to drown sailors navigating the Strait of Messina. She was identified with a rock off the Italian coast Compare Charybdis

2. in a predicament in which avoidance of either of two dangers means exposure to the other

---

Scylla More Idioms  

1. see between a rock and a hard place (Scylla and Charybdis).

---

Example Sentences

For many long minutes, those covering the show in real time were trapped between the Scylla and Charybdis of congratulatory awe and potentially backlash-provoking faux pas.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2023

I don’t expect you to say “between Scylla and Charybdis” but could you please say “between a rock and a whirlpool” instead?

From Seattle Times • May 1, 2022

In other words, the middle path, the tightrope walk, the threading of Scylla and Charybdis.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2022

The pair were diving around the HMS Scylla which was sunk in 2004 to create an offshore reef.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2021

His daughter, Scylla, used to watch Minos from the city wall and she fell madly in love with him.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton