Meaning & use
pretty pickle
Last updated
Meaning
phrasesingularinformal
A difficult or unpleasant situation; a mess.
Grammar: Countable; usually used with 'a' or 'in a'.
Patterns
- in a pretty pickle
- a pretty pickle
After missing the last train, we were in a pretty pickle.
He got himself into a pretty pickle by forgetting his passport.
The team was in a pretty pickle when their best player got injured.
Common combinations
- in a pretty pickle
- She found herself in a pretty pickle when she lost her keys.
- get into a pretty pickle
- Don't get into a pretty pickle by ignoring the deadline.
- a fine pretty pickle
- This is a fine pretty pickle we've gotten ourselves into.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mess
- More general and informal; can refer to a physical mess or a difficult situation.
- predicament
- More formal; a difficult situation that is hard to get out of.
- jam
- Informal; a difficult situation, often in 'in a jam'.
- fix
- Informal; a difficult situation, often in 'in a fix'.
Commonly confused: pretty pickle or pickle?
pretty pickle vs pickle
As a noun, 'pickle' can mean a preserved cucumber or a difficult situation; 'pretty pickle' specifically means a difficult situation.
Practice
After losing his wallet and phone, John was in a ___.
Choose one answer.
'Pretty pickle' is the fixed idiom meaning a difficult situation. 'Pretty cucumber' is not an idiom; 'pretty jam' and 'pretty mess' are not standard expressions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pretty pickle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.