A curse in disguise

[Reborn34]

Hello Everyone,

Are these sentences commonly used by English native speakers?If not,what can be used?

1.Getting married was a curse in disguise.(I thought it would be good but it turned out to be bad.)

2.His offer is a curse in disguise.(You think it´s good but you´ll have problems in the future.)


Thank you in advance!

 

[cuchuflete]

Greetings, Reborn34,

There is nothing wrong with either sentence. Both seem to play off the common expression, a blessing in disguise. I don't recall ever seeing "a curse in disguise", so I would have to say that it is not especially common. That shouldn't dissuade you from using it where it fits and expressed the idea you wish to convey.

A Google search shows nearly 700 actual pages using the phrase, with a prediction of a much greater number. Google predictions are extremely unreliable.

Results 691 - 692 of about 379,000 for "a curse in disguise"

 

[ewie]

Hello Reborn. I can't say I'm familiar with it either, but it was immediately obvious what it meant so I wouldn't be too afraid to use it

(There is a sort-of-alternative: wolf in sheep's clothing ~ something which looks harmless but turns out not to be.)

 

[Matching Mole]

I'd consider "a curse in disguise" to be a play on "blessing in disguise" used intentionally as a mild witticism. It is not a set phrase in its own right, but relies on knowledge of the cliché "a blessing in disguise".

 

[Mohammed Messaoud]

According to Oxford dictionary:

poisoned chalice
An assignment, award, or honour which is likely to prove a disadvantage or source of problems to the recipient:
"many thought the new minister had been handed a poisoned chalice" (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/poisoned-chalice)

Also, a wolf in sheep's clothing
A person or thing that appears friendly or harmless but is really hostile:
‘the widespread belief that any British proposal was a wolf in sheep's clothing’ (a wolf in sheep's clothing - definition of a wolf in sheep's clothing in English | Oxford Dictionaries)