come between two alternatives, and so fail to fulfill either of them
fail due to difficulty in choosing between two alternatives
fail to achieve either of two contrasting aims
This book cannot be an academic one nor can it be a popular commercial one; it falls between two stools.
It is difficult to organize an event that appeals to both young and old; you could end up being caught between two stools.
This car neither has good power nor gives good mileage; it falls between two stools.
Do not try to be both a teacher and a friend to your students; you would be caught between two stools.
This tutorial is too complicated for a beginner and too simple for an advanced student. It falls between two stools.
Don’t try to club a relaxing vacation with an adventurous one; it would fall between two stools.
There is no origin for this idiom
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definition
Common phrase that has a specific meaning.