Jump out of the frying pan into the fire

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Meaning

To flee one mess for a worse one, no win.

Origin

From ancient Greece, tied to Aesop's 'The Stag and the Lion' (6th BCE); pan to fire, English by 1520s in a More text for worse. A 1600s play uses it for a flop.

Variants

  • Frying pan fire

Usage Examples

  • He jumped out of the frying pan into the fire; worse job!
  • Frying pan to fire; left for this?
  • Jumped the pan; straight to fire.

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