Meaning
A difficult person or problem to understand or solve.
Primary Function
Difficulty description.
Communicative Purpose
To acknowledge a challenge.
Pattern
a hard nut to crack
Core Structure
a hard nut to crack
Função primária
Difficulty description.
Propósito comunicativo
To acknowledge a challenge.
Situações de gatilho
Tough puzzles, stubborn individuals.
Contextos
Investigations, negotiations.
Padrão
a hard nut to crack
Estrutura central
a hard nut to crack
Slots de substituição
none
Colocados típicos
- is
- proved
- become
Substituições comuns
- a tough nut to crack
Erros comuns
*a hard shell to crack* (mixed)
Similar / contraste
a tough cookie (person)
Interferências
Not about food.
Família do chunk
- Difficulty idioms
Nuance
Respectful of difficulty.
Efeito pragmático
Excuses slow progress.
Dica de memória
Walnut resisting cracking.
Nota
This idiom is often used in professional and academic contexts to describe complex problems or challenging individuals. It emphasizes the effort required to overcome a particular obstacle.
Upgrade path
an intractable problem (formal)
Log in to save chunks.