Hard Nut to Crack

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Meaning:

Hard Nut to Crack means A person, thing, situation, or problem that is particularly difficult to understand, solve, or deal with.

“That’s a hard nut to crack.”

Origin:

This expression alludes to hard-shelled nuts like walnuts. Without the help of some outside force like a tool or umm, your foot, the nuts shell can be hard to break with your bare hand. So, we can use this struggle to express other situations that seem tough also.

A hard nut to crack was first used by Benjamin Franklin in a letter to his brother about a few colonists in the US who were trying to attain a French Fortress somewhere in Canada in 1745. It reads:

“Fortified towns are hard nuts to crack, and your teeth have not been accustomed to it.”

Example:

Today we still use a hard nut to crack to explain a hard or complicated situation. Or even a person that you are having a hard time getting to know. An example sentence is:

"I've been dating Jenny for over a year, and I still think she's a hard nut to crack!"

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