English

Alternative forms

• tougher nut to crack, toughest nut to crack, difficult nut to crack, hard nut to crack

Noun

tough nut to crack ‎(plural tough nuts to crack)

1. Used other than as an idiom: see tough,‎ nut,‎ crack.
2. (idiomatic) A problem that is challenging to solve.
3. (idiomatic, by extension) A situation, person, group, etc. which is difficult to deal with.
4. (idiomatic) A place, opportunity, etc. to which it is difficult to gain entry.
5. An amount that is difficult to finance.

Usage notes

• Tough/er/est nut to crack is by far the most common form in COCA (US), about equal to hard/er/est nut to crack at BNC (UK).

Translations