Hobson's choice

 
Pronunciation: /ˈhɒbs(ə)nz/

noun

  • a choice of taking what is available or nothing at all: the regional council must decide whether a private toll bridge is better than no bridge at all—it’s a Hobson’s choice

Origin:

mid 17th century: named after Thomas Hobson (1554–1631), a Cambridge carrier who hired out horses, giving the customer the ‘choice’ of the one nearest the door or none at all