quagmire
The origin and history of quagmire.
Etymology
Formed from "quag" (a bog or marsh) plus "mire" (wet, muddy ground), first recorded in the late 1500s; the figurative "difficult situation" meaning followed roughly two centuries later.
Class of 1500
quagmire first entered the language around 1500. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1500 →