# A word for "an unsolvable problem"/"lose-lose situation"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379 "2003-02-07T03:26:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/1 "2003-02-07T03:26:00Z")
A quick etymological question, here…is there any special or more elegant term to describe “A problem with no real solution,” or a “lose-lose situation”? Something in German, perhaps? Or even Latin? Well, thanks for your time, Ranchoth ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/2 "2003-02-07T03:29:31Z")
Conundrum? Paradox? Doozy? ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/3 "2003-02-07T03:31:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > \*\*A quick etymological question, here…is there any special or more elegant term to describe “A problem with no real solution,” or a “lose-lose situation”? Something in German, perhaps? Or even Latin? > \*\* Didn’t Jospeh Heller coin one ? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/4 "2003-02-07T03:31:33Z")
Kobyashi Maru? ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/5 "2003-02-07T03:32:07Z")
How about Kobayashi Maru? ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/6 "2003-02-07T03:33:13Z")
Aaaaaah. Next time I’m going to rig the simulation to get my post in first. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_007clone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jb\_007clone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_007clone)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/7 "2003-02-07T03:37:58Z")
Kobayashi Maru? Nerd Alert!!! Just Kidding. Well “Dilemma” means a choice between two unsatisfactory results. ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/8 "2003-02-07T03:47:00Z")
This is boring. The answer is Catch-22 From Merriam-Webster [online](http://www.m-w.com), **a situation presenting two equally undesirable alternatives** ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/9 "2003-02-07T03:58:29Z")
A Catch-22 situation is when the only “out” to an untenable situation involves not finding the situation untenable, and hence not attempting to exercise the “out.” The particular word in question here may be _antinomy_ (see second definition) > [@](#): > > an·tin·o·my ( P ) Pronunciation Key (n-tn-m) > n. pl. an·tin·o·mies > > 1. Contradiction or opposition, especially between two laws or rules. > 2. A contradiction between principles or conclusions that seem equally necessary and reasonable; a paradox. Spider Robinson wrote an outstanding story collection based around this theme, and entitled the book _Antinomy_. ---
**Author:** ![jsb5048](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jsb5048](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsb5048)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/10 "2003-02-07T04:02:14Z")
How about a Pickle? Remember Sandlot? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/11 "2003-02-07T04:08:18Z")
A no-win situation? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/12 "2003-02-07T04:12:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > \*\*A no-win situation? \*\* I second. no-win scenario is another form. ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/13 "2003-02-07T04:16:48Z")
The word you’re looking for is _dilemma_. Dilemma means “caught between the horns of a bull” di-lemma, literally, is - two horns, from the Greek. It’s not Catch-22, which is the title of a book written earlier this century, and it’s not paradox or antimony because the OP suggested a situation where a choice has to be made between the two contradictory positions. “Paradox” and “antimony” just describe situations where seemingly contradictory laws seem to be in operation. These words don’t imply that you have to do anything about this situation, merely that the situation exists. “Dilemma”, on the other hand, means that you are caught between the two horns of a bull and you _have_ to make the choice whether to go into one horn or the other. There is no other alternative. The words “paradox” and “antimony” do not have this imperative element. So “dilemma” is the word that best fits the OP’s description. In fact, I would argue that it is the _only_ word that fits the description. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_007clone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jb\_007clone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_007clone)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/14 "2003-02-07T04:17:38Z")
Didn’t I say that? ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/15 "2003-02-07T04:17:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > \*\*A Catch-22 situation is when the only “out” to an untenable situation involves not finding the situation untenable, and hence not attempting to exercise the “out.” > \*\* From M-W definition and the OP’s requirement > [@](#): > > or a “lose-lose situation” I thought Catch-22 fit. ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/16 "2003-02-07T04:21:15Z")
You did jd, but I don’t think you rammed the case home hard enough, no offence. ---
**Author:** ![MemoryGongs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@MemoryGongs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryGongs)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/17 "2003-02-07T04:24:17Z")
Caught between the Scylla and Charbdris (sp?) having to choose between two evils or as Flanders would say, That’s a real doozy of a pickle ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/18 "2003-02-07T04:26:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jojo \* > di-lemma, literally, is - two horns, from the Greek. I’m not sure where you got this, but AHD says that _lemma_ is Greek for “proposition” (as it is in English), which comes from _lambanein_, “to take”. The dictionary also gives a usage note saying that _dilemma_ properly refers to a situation in which a choice must be made, but 74% of the Usage Panel rejects the meaning of a no-win situation. I for one agree with you on the meaning, though, if not the etymology. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/19 "2003-02-07T04:31:01Z")
[ul] \*\*HOPELESS \*\*[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Alien2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Alien2022](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alien2022)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-an-unsolvable-problem-lose-lose-situation/153379/20 "2003-02-07T04:34:55Z")
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