In a Quandary
Meaning
Faced with a dilemma – perplexed and uncertain what to do.
Origin
A quandary is simply a dilemma or state of extreme uncertainty. The word is now little used, apart from in the phrase in a quandary. This came in to use in the 16th century. For example, in John Lyly’s Euphues, the anatomy of wyt, 1579:
“Euphues… departed, leaving this olde gentleman in a great quandarie.”
