fall between two stools

English - English

Definition of fall between two stools in English English dictionary

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

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

As your chances of mega-success increase so do your chances of falling between two stools, and if you get it wrong, you could end up with a dog’s dinner that satisfies no one.

fail because one hesitated between two opportunities, attempt two things at once and fail at both

Hyphenation

Fall be·tween two stools

Turkish pronunciation

fôl bitwin tu stulz

Synonyms

grey area

Pronunciation

/ˈfôl bēˈtwēn ˈto͞o ˈsto͞olz/ /ˈfɔːl biːˈtwiːn ˈtuː ˈstuːlz/

Videos

... may fall between two stools. ...