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This is a nautical term from the days of wooden ships. The 'devil' is the longest seam in the ship that runs around the edge of the deck and was awkward and dangerous to 'pay' or caulk. The phrase "between the devil and the deep blue sea" also refers to this seam. To 'pay' a seam was to seal it with pitch after it had been caulked (oakum, basically bits of old rope, was hammered into the seam). So "the devil to pay and no pitch hot" refers to the most unpleasant task on the ship and consequently is used to describe the possibility of finding oneself in an unpleasant or dangerous position.

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Q: Where did The devil to pay and no pitch hot come from?
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