Idiom
In a pickle
If you are in a pickle, you are in a difficult or awkward situation and are not sure how to get out of it.
How people use it
People say "in a pickle" or "in a bit of a pickle," often about everyday problems: locking your keys in the car, booking two events at the same time, running out of an ingredient halfway through a recipe. The tone is light and informal, so it softens the trouble rather than making it sound grave. You would not usually use it for a true emergency. "Quite a pickle" and "a real pickle" are common ways to stress it.
Also said: in a bit of a pickle, in a real pickle.
Examples
- I'm in a pickle: I promised to work Saturday, but it's also my best friend's wedding.
- We were in a real pickle when the ferry was canceled and the last bus had already left.
- If you ever find yourself in a pickle, call me and I'll help.
Where it comes from
In older English, "pickle" meant the salty or vinegary liquid used to preserve food. Being stuck in that brine made a vivid picture of a sorry state. The phrase probably comes from a similar Dutch expression about sitting in the pickle, and it was in English by the 1500s. Shakespeare used it in The Tempest (around 1611), where a drunken character is asked how he came to be "in this pickle."
Check yourself
1. What does it mean if your friend says he is in a pickle?
Answer: He has an awkward problem. In a pickle means stuck in a tricky situation.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Maya was in a pickle after booking two dentist appointments at once.. The idiom describes a tricky problem, not a good or easy time.
Similar idioms
Word game fan? See every word hiding in PICKLE.