caught in the middle

caught in the middle

In a position between two or more sides in an argument or contentious issue, often leaving one without a clear course of action to satisfy either side. When my friends broke up, I was often caught in the middle, as each one complained to me about the other. Dude, Mom and Dad are fighting in there. You'll be caught in the middle if you go in now. I know that they're arguing about the budget because I walked into the conference room at the wrong time and was caught in the middle.

See also: caught, middle

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

caught in the middle

Also, caught in the cross-fire. Between two opposing sides, as in The writers are often caught in the middle between editor and publisher, who are political opponents , or When parents don't get along, the children are often caught in the cross-fire. Long used in military situations, these terms began to be used figuratively in the second half of the 1800s.

See also: caught, middle

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.