What does "pick your poison" mean?

[Paco Dennis]

I am very close to this "Quora" answer to this...

Aizaz Baqir
, I am a freelance translator since 1986 and have translated more than 20 books
Answered 4 years ago
Although in typical sense it means that when one tries to please oneself with things such as alcohol or smoking one suffer more than the temporary relief that one gets to avoid the pain of life. However, in depth it means that whatever you to do to avoid suffering, you are not going to escape it. And the more you avoid suffering the more you have it. The only way to avoid suffering is to face it, accept it, and learn to live with it . Accepting the suffering is better than avoiding it. The more one tries to avoid it the more one suffers.

 

[ohioboy]

It's a non colloquial humorous way of saying "Choose your method of execution".

A man on death row was asked if he wished to be burned at the stake or have his head cut off. He chose being burned at the stake. He said a hot steak was better than a cold chop.

 

[Becky1951]

Another way to use "pick your poison", sometimes in life a person is in a situation where there are very few options for betterment.
Those options, none being ideal. You have to "pick your poison".
Poison not being literal in that sense.

 

[ohioboy]

Another way to use "pick your poison", sometimes in life a person is in a situation where there are very few options for betterment.
Those options, none being ideal. You have to "pick your poison".
Poison not being literal in that sense.

"The Trolley problem" or the "Lesser of two evils", both problematic.

 

[Murrmurr]

Such as: what'll it be, whiskey or vodka?

 

[Ceege]

Your choices are pretty equal but none are that good. Pick the one that you can handle the best, even if it's not ideal.

 

[Lewkat]

I've only heard it referred to when drinks are offered.

 

[terry123]

Another way to use "pick your poison", sometimes in life a person is in a situation where there are very few options for betterment.
Those options, none being ideal. You have to "pick your poison".
Poison not being literal in that sense.

Thats the way I have always thought of it, too. Around here we use it to pick your options and my northern friends have never heard the phrase.

 

[Mike]

Lewkat answered for me, I only ever heard it used in a pub.

Mike.

 

[Meanderer]

Around here, its "Choose your Poison"! Of course at our house, perfume comes to mind. I was at the perfume counter, a few years back and mentioned to the lady, that "I always wanted to give my Wife Poison for Christmas"! She didn't get the joke.