Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS

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connect today's word to others: When you're in a dilemma, between a rock and a hard place, between the devil and the deep blue sea, forced into a situation with only two ways out, both equally bad, you're between Scylla and Charybdis: between an enormous rock or the mythical sea monster who lives on it, Scylla, and the uncomfortably close-by mythic whirlpool and its second monster, both referred to as Charybdis, right where the tip of Italy's boot appears to kick the island of Sicily. Things didn't go well there for Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey. His ship avoided the whirlpool Charybdis, but he had to sail so close to the monster Scylla that she devoured six of his crew members. Sure, it was terrible, but it was better than losing everyone in the whirlpool. (Also, the crew members were pretty disposable. Like the redshirts on Star Trek. Just saying.) We've considered Odysseus's story four times before, when we checked out the words Homeric, odyssey, nepenthean, and lotus-eater. Could you explain the meaning of each? make your point with... "SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS" These words come from Greek mythology, and they basically mean "two evils." Scylla and Charybdis are on opposite sides of a narrow strait of water. You're trying to sail through there. Scylla is a huge rock that you risk crashing into, and, Scylla is also a sea monster who lives on that rock and devours passers-by. Charybdis is a whirlpool that's very close to Scylla, or a sea monster who lives there. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia.) So, to be between Scylla and Charybdis is to be caught between two bad or dangerous options, and often, it's specifically to be dealing with an opposite bad option because you were trying to avoid the first bad option, as if you're crashing into the rock--or getting eaten by a sea monster--because you were trying to avoid the whirlpool or the other sea monster.     Pronunciation: SILL uh and kuh RIB dis Part of speech: It's a noun phrase. Other forms: None. How to use it: Because it's literary, and so very Greek, this phrase can sound snobby. So, be sure to use it when you're being formal or mock-formal. Talk about being between Scylla and Charybdis, being caught between Scylla and Charybdis, steering or navigating between Scylla and Charybdis, going from Scylla to Charybdis (or to Scylla from Charybdis), running against Scylla, being swallowed up by Charybdis, avoiding Scylla without being drawn into Charybdis, etc. You can get more specific with the word "of," as in "the Scylla and Charybdis of trying to please both of them." You can also specify what your Scylla and your Charybdis are. Here's Richard Brody for The New Yorker: "Movies about public figures...must confront the Scylla of impersonation and the Charybdis of unfaithfulness." (Like Brody did, I suggest calling your second-worst thing Scylla and your absolute-worst thing Charybdis. Scylla damages, Charybdis destroys. At least, that's true in Homer's epic.) examples: I want to avoid both vagueness and over-sharing, my Scylla and Charybdis. In high school, as you write persuasive essays, your tone has to slide between the Scylla of blandness and the Charybdis of zealotry. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "Scylla and Charybdis" means when you can explain it without saying "a rock and a hard place" or "the frying pan and the fire." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "To (accomplish something, or avoid something bad) without (causing some other bad problem) is to steer between Scylla and Charybdis." Example: "To get your money's worth at the buffet without incurring a gnarly stomach ache is to steer between Scylla and Charybdis." (My example was silly; yours might be serious.) before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is "The Meanings of Maladies." I'll share a tidbit about the word for a particular symptom, disease, or condition, and you try to name it. We'll start with common maladies and work our way toward the rare and strange. From our previous issue: The word for this type of ache is a distorted pronunciation of the Late Latin word hemicrania, meaning "a pain on one side of the head." (You can see why it's related to words like "hemisphere" and "cranium.") What is it? Answer: Migraine. Try this today: The word for this condition comes from a misreading of the Greek word for "point, edge, or peak," and is related to our word acme. What is it? review today's word: 1. A close opposite of SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS is A. SMOOTH SAILING. B. SLAP ON THE WRIST. C. CHIP ON THE SHOULDER. 2. Having dodged the Charybdis of rejection--she said yes!--he suddenly felt _____ the Scylla of nervous anticipation. A. engulfed in B. enclosed in C. dashed against Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. C