Hobson's choice

Hob·son's choice

 (hŏb′sənz)

n.

A choice between what is available and nothing; a lack of an alternative.

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[After Thomas Hobson (1544?-1630), English keeper of a livery stable, from his requirement that customers take either the horse nearest the stable door or none.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Hobson's choice

(ˈhɒbsənz)

n

the choice of taking what is offered or nothing at all

[C16: named after Thomas Hobson (1544–1631), English liveryman who gave his customers no choice but had them take the nearest horse]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Hob′son's choice′

(ˈhɒb sənz)
n.

the choice of taking either that which is offered or nothing; the absence of a real alternative.

[1640–50; after Thomas Hobson (1544–1631), of Cambridge, England, who rented horses and gave his customer only one choice, that of the horse nearest the stable door]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Hobson's choice - the choice of taking what is offered or nothing at all alternative, option, choice - one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen; "what option did I have?"; "there no other alternative"; "my only choice is to refuse"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Translations

Hobson's choice

[ˈhɒbsənzˈtʃɔɪs] N (Brit) → opción f única
it's Hobson's choice → o lo tomas o lo dejas

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

Hobson’s choice

n it’s Hobson’s choice → da habe ich (wohl) keine andere Wahl

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Hobson's choice

[ˈhɒbs/ənzˈtʃɔɪs] n it's Hobson's choice → è una questione di prendere o lasciare

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995