Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fall between two stools

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.05 in modern English

Syllables: fal-l -be-tween t-wo s-tools
IPA

31

Scrabble Score

20

Letters

6

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To fit into neither of two categories and, hence, be neglected or fail.

verb

To attempt two roles and fail at both, when either could have been accomplished singly.

Example Sentences

"Unfortunately, it fell between two stools: it was not good enough to be a competition car and those who wanted a roadburner preferred the Iso Grifo, which was better equipped."
"Even Henry's will embodies that suspension between two poles, or falling between two stools, which characterises so much of his church's history from the point."
"Patterson's therory has profound implications for any critical interpretation of the play: if, as she argues, we should recognise two distinct versions of the play with very different political effects, an interpretation which ignores the differences is likely to fall between two stools."
"“[…] She Dido] could not bear to lose the land she had got by a swindle; and then she could not bear the loss of her lover. So she fell between two stools. […]”"
"Failing to get rid of the old love Medea] before taking on the new—in other words, wasting his strength over a new and untried method before having fully established the old—he Jason] fell between two stools."
"The Council, by trying to combine its functions as the responsible executive of the League with some of the representative attributes of the Assembly, has to some extent fallen between two stools, and gives the impression of not being certain of its rôle."

Etymology

From an old proverb, "Between two stools, one falls to the ground", which dates from 1390. This, in turn, is most likely a translation of the medieval Latin proverb labitur enitens sellis herere duabus ("he falls trying to sit on two seats").

Inflected Forms

falls between two stools (present, singular) falling between two stools (participle, present) fell between two stools (past) fallen between two stools (participle, past)

Phrases

out of the frying pan, into the fire

Frequently Paired Words

out of the frying pan, into the fire

Synonyms

fall in a grey area

Questions

What does fall between two stools mean?: To fit into neither of two categories and, hence, be neglected or fail.
Where does fall between two stools come from?: From an old proverb, "Between two stools, one falls to the ground", which dates from 1390. This, in turn, is most likely a translation of the medieval Latin proverb labitur enitens sellis herere duabus ("he falls trying to sit on two seats").

How to pronounce fall between two stools

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