straightforward: the choice between pestilence and cholera.

Vielleicht passt das:   related discussion:die Wahl zwischen zwei Übeln -- a Hobson's choice between

"to choose the lesser of two evils" is the best I can think up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Between_a_rock_a...


Das ist auch sehr gebraeuchlich in UK.

Another bit of traditional English English!

I haven't heard of choosing between a rock and a hard place - only being stuck or caught between them. (I speak US English, but lived in England for several years.)

greek mythology:one was a maelstrom, the other a deadly rock formation,
caught in between the poor ancient seamen had no chance to escape: avoiding one danger meant facing the other one and vs...

"Voters had to choose between two evils at the last Bundestag election."
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"Hobson's choice" - "diese Partei oder gar keine".

"to be between the devil and deep blue sea" - "in der Klemme/Zwickmühle stecken"

And it's "_caught_ between a rock and..." -"ausweglose Situation"

"Scylla and Carybdis" - IMHO not very idiomatic

laaalaaa not a sting fan?

You consider me the young apprentice
Caught between the scylla and charybidis
Hypnotized by you if I should linger
Staring at the ring around your finge