"The recession is A DOUBLE-HEADED BEAST for charities. Donations are down but the demand for sevices has increased."

     (Even though the recession might better be called a "depression".)

        This is an idiom that seems to be synonomous with "Double edged sword":

       "Lipset writes that the idea of American Exceptionalism reveals America to be both the worst and the best nation. As he says, is  "...A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD." On the one hand, the "good" side of THE THE DOUBLE EDGED SWORD promotes, "Egalitarianism," ie, equality of opportunity, the idea that in America, anyone can become president. on the other hand, the "dark" side of THE DOUBLE EDGED SWORD promotes, violence, brutality, hatred, cruelty.

—- David Gergen

       It is not a very common one and might be hard to comment on since it is one that always involves analyses and comparisons.

      Some of you might have heard these two idioms used before and have some good examples of your own.
You might also know something of its origins. If so, please feel free to respond. It’s certainly an interesting idiom.

     Sincerely,
     Brian Costello
     Seattle, Wa.

[quote author=brian_costello link=board=idiom;num=1077046984;start=0#0 date=02/17/04 at 14:43:04]
   "The recession is A DOUBLE-HEADED BEAST for charities. Donations are down but the demand for sevices has increased."
. . .
    This is an idiom that seems to be synonomous with "Double edged sword". It is not a very common one and might be hard to comment on since it is one that always involves analyses and comparisons.

. . .
     Sincerely,
     Brian Costello
     Seattle, Wa.

I haven’t heard the "two-headed beast" expression before, but I can infer its meaning from the rest of the quote, and I don’t think it’s the same as "a double-edged sword."

dou·ble-edged

adj.

1.  Having two cutting edges:  double-edged blade.

2.  
 a.  Effective or capable of being interpreted in two ways: double-edged praise.

 b.  Having a dual purpose:  combat troops with a double-edged mission.

Definition 2a. above is similar to this idom from cut:

cut both ways
 To have both favorable and unfavorable results or implications.

A related but slightly different idiom from horn is:

on the horns of a dilemma
 Faced with two equally undesirable alternatives.

However, charities are not facing a dilemma, because they have no choice in the matter.

From the original quote, it seems that charities are facing two problems, one of which exacerbates the other.  The first is that donations are down, which means that there are fewer resources available to provide services.  The second is that there is an increased demand for these increasingly scarce services.  The result is that charities are not able to provide services at an appropriate level.  They are indeed facing a two-headed beast.  

[hr]
One other related idiom comes from the military:

Tracers work both ways!

This talk of beasts and swords sounds a bit apocalyptic to me. A double edged sword is mentioned in the book of Revelation:

And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength..

[sub]Rev. 1.16, King James Version[/sub]

Later on we get a description of the beast:

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy

[sub]Rev. 13.1, KJV[/sub]

So although the passages cited do not suggest the meaning of the idiom, it could be that those sayings have been influenced by the bible passages. I am not 100% convinced though.

Dear Stargazer and Jonah,

   Thanks for your comments and Jonah thank you for the information. A Biblical origin sounds plausible.

    Sincerely,
    Brian Costello
    Seattle, Wa.

Dear Brian,

Might the "Double-headed beast" not be a reference to Orthos, the two-headed dog that guarded Geron’s cattle in the tenth labor of Hercules?

It seems to me that the quote is trying to describe a horrible monster that has two ways of preventing the charities from reaching their goals, which is what Orthos was attempting to do when Hercules came to steal the cattle.

Cheers, bnjtokyo

Dear Bntokyo,

  Thanks for the information. I think you are right with regard to the origins of the double-headed beast version of the idiom.

   Kind regards!
   Brian Costello
   Seattle, Wa. :D