# devil and the deep blue sea

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea/139531>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 29, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea/139531 "2002-11-29T19:33:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea/139531/1 "2002-11-29T19:33:46Z")

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origins for this please…i read one but it may not be right…and know i will get the S.D. here  
:rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![GWVet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@GWVet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GWVet)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea/139531/2 "2002-11-29T22:56:25Z")

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I’ll need to search around a bit for a cite, but to be “between the devil and the deep blue sea” is a nautical expression. The “devil” in this case being the joint between the hull and the deck of a ship. The term is also the origin of the expression “the devil to pay”. “Paying” is old sailor speak for tarring (i.e. waterproofing/weathersealing), and this joint was very difficult to “pay” properly. So one might imagine that being between the devil and the sea would mean being in a precarious position.

I’ll look through one of my nautical dictionaries later tonight and get a cite for it.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea/139531/3 "2002-11-29T23:42:47Z")

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The Word Detective has [this](http://www.word-detective.com/back-l2.html#devilanddeepblue) to say.

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**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea/139531/4 "2002-11-30T00:09:36Z")

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The OED agrees with The Word Detective. It’s first citation is from 1637:

> [@](#):
>
> : I, with my partie, did lie on our poste, as betwixt the devill and the deep sea.

This gives the impression that it was is use before this quotation.

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**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea/139531/5 "2002-11-30T00:33:07Z")

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[slightly off topic]

You now have succeeded in getting the Emerson Lake and Palmer song, _Pirates_ stuck in my head.

“So drink a toast with me  
To the Devil, and the Deep Blue Sea  
This town is ours…TONIGHT!”

[/sot]