C1idiominformalfoodIELTS-friendly
a tough nut to crack
USUK
a problem that is very difficult to solve or deal with
British English also says 'a hard nut to crack'. It can describe a person who is hard to persuade or get to know.
In context
English pronunciation is a tough nut to crack for many Vietnamese learners.
Traffic jams in Ho Chi Minh City are a tough nut to crack for city planners.
More idioms about food
- food for thoughtan idea or piece of information that makes you think seriously about something
- grab a biteto eat something quickly, usually a small or simple meal
- have a sweet toothto love eating sweet food such as cakes, sweets and desserts
- not someone's cup of teanot the kind of thing that someone likes or is interested in
- sour grapescriticising something only because you could not have it yourself