Something that’s not much easier to understand or difficult to do; harder to solve a problem

Etymology:

  • Cracking a hard nut isn’t as easier as you’d like. You probably need to use a very strong nutcracker or a powerful hammer to accomplish this task. Some nuts are just like made up of iron. This is the reason that people use to say it’s harder to take complicated and complex decisions. Similarly, resolving various problems is surely “tough nut to crack”. This particular expression comes back from 18th when Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to his brother. A few colonists in US were trying to attain a French Fortress somewhere in Canada in 1745. Benjamin used the following words in the letter; "fortified towns are hard nuts to crack; and your teeth have not been accustomed to it." However, new Englanders were able to capture the fortress and thus it was proved that there are a few nuts that are much easier to be cracked.
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Skiing at that extreme atmosphere is surely a tough nut to crack.

Submitted on February 25, 2019

Additional definitions for 'Tough Nut to Crack':

tough nut to crackA difficult or sticky problem.
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    "Tough Nut to Crack." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Dec. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/tough-nut-to-crack_45103>.

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