damned if one does and damned if one doesn't
- idiom
- NSFW
:
maldito si lo haces y maldito si no lo haces
- You're damned if you do and damned if you don't in this situation!
Examples
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In this job, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
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The politician claimed he was damned if he does and damned if he doesn't during the heated debate.
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Faced with this difficult choice, she knew she was damned if she does and damned if she doesn't.
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No matter which decision he makes, he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
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In this job, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't when it comes to making tough decisions.
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Faced with this difficult choice, she knew she was damned if she does and damned if she doesn't.
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No matter which decision he makes, he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
Synonyms
11
5.3
A situation where every choice leads to a bad result
Any choice you make leads to bad results
How Problematic
Surface Forms
Morphology
damn + if + one + do + and + damn + if + one + doesn't
The literal parts ('damn' = condemn, plus the conditional structure 'if one does/doesn't') give a clear clue that both choices lead to condemnation or trouble, so a learner can partially infer that both options are bad. However, the phrase is a conventionalized, idiomatic pattern whose pragmatic force ('you will face negative consequences whichever you choose') and fixed wording are not fully predictable from the parts alone, so it requires some exposure to be reliably understood.
Etymology
Damned if one does and damned if one doesn't comes from the plain image of being damned—that is, 'blamed' or 'punished'—no matter which choice you take; imagine two paths and people on both sides shouting at you. So it means you will face bad results or criticism 'no matter what you do'.