| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| dilemma (n.) |
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| Since it begins with the Greek di-, meaning “two,” a dilemma is often said to have two horns (like an aggressive animal of some sort), and it still can mean (1) “in argument, a choice between two equally likely alternatives to be used against your opponent,” (2) “any choice between two equally unpleasant alternative actions,” (3) “a choice between one pleasant and one unpleasant option,” and (4) “the choice between any two alternatives.” Thanks to generalization, however, it is also Standard meaning “any serious problem.” Pronounce it di-LEM-uh or dei-LEM-uh. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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