A Rock and a Hard Place' is an idiom used to describe a situation where someone is faced with two unappealing options. It is often used to describe a difficult choice that must be made BETWEEN two unfavorable alternatives. The term originated in the late 1800s and has been used in literature and popular culture ever since. The crossword solution for this term is 'DILEMMA, ' which means a situation in which a person must choose BETWEEN two or more unattractive options.