Dictionary

hard nut to crack en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) A problem that is challenging to solve.
   • He saw the dilemma. . . . It was a hard nut to crack. He could see no way out of it. 1893, Grant Allen, chapter 11, in Michael's Crag:
   • Germany's inflation proves a hard nut to crack. 1991 June 14, Leonard Silk, “Economic Scene; Predicting When Upturn Will Start”, in New York Times, retrieved 22 Sep 2011:
2. (broadly, idiomatic) A situation, person, group, etc. which is difficult to overcome or deal with.
   • The coast lad found the veteran Mike McTigue a hard nut to crack and judging from the look on the Californian's face when the final bell sounded, he was mighty happy that the fight was over. 1928 June 8, “Mike McTigue Gives Emanuel a Real Fight”, in Milwaukee Journal, retrieved 22 Sep 2011, page 2:
   • "But Belarus is a hard nut to crack, and it has used these methods to slip out of these East-West pincers before," says Alexander Klaskovsky. 2011 January 12, Simon Shuster, “Will the E.U. Let Belarus' Despot Off the Hook?”, in Time:
3. (idiomatic) A place, opportunity, etc. to which it is difficult to gain entry.
   • Durango, however, may be a hard nut to crack, as it is strong strategically and is reported guarded by 4000 rebels. 1929 March 15, “Five Mexican Armies March to Meet Rebels”, in Reading Eagle, USA, retrieved 22 Sep 2011, page 1:
   • Nice work if you can get it, but the luxury market is a hard nut to crack. 2008 October 17, Barbara Wall, “Housing crisis? Not for the superrich”, in New York Times, retrieved 22 Sep 2011:
   • The next day Archie, with Andrew Macpherson and Cluny Campbell, made their way through the woods until within sight of the castle. . . . "It would be a hard nut to crack, Sir Archie," his lieutenant said. "Unless by famine, the place could scarce be taken." 1885, G. A. Henty, chapter 7, in In Freedom's Cause:
4. (idiomatic) An amount that is difficult to finance.
5. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hard, nut, crack.

Forms

Relateds

take a crack at · have a crack at

Synonyms

tough nut to crack · difficult nut to crack

Translations (11)

pl twardy orzech do zgryzienia (challenging problem to solve) · pl rozkmina (challenging problem to solve) · hu kemény dió (challenging problem to solve) · es hueso duro de roer (challenging problem to solve) · da en hård nød at knække (challenging problem to solve) · de harte Nuss (challenging problem to solve) · he אֱגוֹז קָשֶׁה לְפִצּוּחַ (challenging problem to solve) · fi kova pähkinä purtavaksi (challenging problem to solve) · cmn 难以攻克的困难 (challenging problem to solve) · tr çetin çeviz (challenging problem to solve) · ru кре́пкий оре́шек (challenging problem to solve)