a door must be either shut or open

a door must be either shut or open

proverb One must choose between two options that cannot both be true or both happen at the same time. (Just as a door cannot simultaneously be open and closed.) You're never going to feel rested if you keep staying up so late. A door must be either shut or open—you can't have it both ways. Well, do you love him or not? A door must be either shut or open. I know you love ice cream, but you can't eat it every day and lose weight—a door must be either shut or open, as they say.

See also: door, either, must, open, shut

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