to fall between two stools
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To fail, through hesitating between two choices. The French say, Etre assis entre deux chaises.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to fall between two stools” mean?
To fail, through hesitating between two choices. The French say, Etre assis entre deux chaises.
Is “to fall between two stools” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.