See hard nut to crack in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for hard nut to crack meaning in English (5.9kB)
{
"forms": [
{
"form": "hard nuts to crack",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "hard nuts to crack"
},
"expansion": "hard nut to crack (plural hard nuts to crack)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"glosses": [
"Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hard, nut, crack."
],
"id": "en-hard_nut_to_crack-en-noun-KX5SjyLz",
"links": [
[
"hard",
"hard#English"
],
[
"nut",
"nut#English"
],
[
"crack",
"crack#English"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "76 0 7 7 10",
"word": "harder nut to crack"
},
{
"_dis1": "76 0 7 7 10",
"word": "hardest nut to crack"
},
{
"_dis1": "76 0 7 7 10",
"word": "difficult nut to crack"
},
{
"_dis1": "76 0 7 7 10",
"word": "tough nut to crack"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1893, Grant Allen, chapter 11, in Michael's Crag",
"text": "He saw the dilemma. . . . It was a hard nut to crack. He could see no way out of it.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1991 June 14, Leonard Silk, “Economic Scene; Predicting When Upturn Will Start”, in New York Times, retrieved 2011-09-22",
"text": "Germany's inflation proves a hard nut to crack.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A problem that is challenging to solve."
],
"id": "en-hard_nut_to_crack-en-noun-HIFZDmHR",
"links": [
[
"problem",
"problem"
],
[
"challenging",
"challenging"
],
[
"solve",
"solve"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) A problem that is challenging to solve."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "2 73 8 7 10",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"word": "难以攻克的困难"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 73 8 7 10",
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"word": "en hård nød at knække"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 73 8 7 10",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"word": "kova pähkinä purtavaksi"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 73 8 7 10",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "harte Nuss"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 73 8 7 10",
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"roman": "egóz qashé l'fitzúaẖ",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "אֱגוֹז קָשֶׁה לְפִצּוּחַ"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 73 8 7 10",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"word": "kemény dió"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 73 8 7 10",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "twardy orzech do zgryzienia"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 73 8 7 10",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "krépkij oréšek",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "кре́пкий оре́шек"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 73 8 7 10",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "hueso duro de roer"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 73 8 7 10",
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"word": "çetin çeviz"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1928 June 8, “Mike McTigue Gives Emanuel a Real Fight”, in Milwaukee Journal, retrieved 2011-09-22, page 2",
"text": "The coast lad found the veteran Mike McTigue a hard nut to crack and judging from the look on the Californian's face when the final bell sounded, he was mighty happy that the fight was over.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2011 January 12, Simon Shuster, “Will the E.U. Let Belarus' Despot Off the Hook?”, in Time",
"text": "\"But Belarus is a hard nut to crack, and it has used these methods to slip out of these East-West pincers before,\" says Alexander Klaskovsky.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A situation, person, group, etc. which is difficult to overcome or deal with."
],
"id": "en-hard_nut_to_crack-en-noun-p~dOhXKn",
"links": [
[
"difficult",
"difficult"
],
[
"overcome",
"overcome"
],
[
"deal with",
"deal with"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, by extension) A situation, person, group, etc. which is difficult to overcome or deal with."
],
"tags": [
"broadly",
"idiomatic"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "34 5 13 43 5",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1885, G. A. Henty, chapter 7, in In Freedom's Cause",
"text": "The next day Archie, with Andrew Macpherson and Cluny Campbell, made their way through the woods until within sight of the castle. . . .\n\"It would be a hard nut to crack, Sir Archie,\" his lieutenant said. \"Unless by famine, the place could scarce be taken.\"",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1929 March 15, “Five Mexican Armies March to Meet Rebels”, in Reading Eagle, USA, retrieved 2011-09-22, page 1",
"text": "Durango, however, may be a hard nut to crack, as it is strong strategically and is reported guarded by 4000 rebels.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2008 October 17, Barbara Wall, “Housing crisis? Not for the superrich”, in New York Times, retrieved 2011-09-22",
"text": "Nice work if you can get it, but the luxury market is a hard nut to crack.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A place, opportunity, etc. to which it is difficult to gain entry."
],
"id": "en-hard_nut_to_crack-en-noun-jnBn7NMS",
"links": [
[
"place",
"place"
],
[
"opportunity",
"opportunity"
],
[
"entry",
"entry"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) A place, opportunity, etc. to which it is difficult to gain entry."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"glosses": [
"An amount that is difficult to finance."
],
"id": "en-hard_nut_to_crack-en-noun-XET2dLzm",
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) An amount that is difficult to finance."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-hard nut to crack.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/bb/En-au-hard_nut_to_crack.ogg/En-au-hard_nut_to_crack.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/En-au-hard_nut_to_crack.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"word": "hard nut to crack"
}
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English nouns",
"English terms with audio links"
],
"forms": [
{
"form": "hard nuts to crack",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "hard nuts to crack"
},
"expansion": "hard nut to crack (plural hard nuts to crack)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"glosses": [
"Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hard, nut, crack."
],
"links": [
[
"hard",
"hard#English"
],
[
"nut",
"nut#English"
],
[
"crack",
"crack#English"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English idioms",
"English terms with quotations",
"Quotation templates to be cleaned"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1893, Grant Allen, chapter 11, in Michael's Crag",
"text": "He saw the dilemma. . . . It was a hard nut to crack. He could see no way out of it.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1991 June 14, Leonard Silk, “Economic Scene; Predicting When Upturn Will Start”, in New York Times, retrieved 2011-09-22",
"text": "Germany's inflation proves a hard nut to crack.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A problem that is challenging to solve."
],
"links": [
[
"problem",
"problem"
],
[
"challenging",
"challenging"
],
[
"solve",
"solve"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) A problem that is challenging to solve."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English idioms",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1928 June 8, “Mike McTigue Gives Emanuel a Real Fight”, in Milwaukee Journal, retrieved 2011-09-22, page 2",
"text": "The coast lad found the veteran Mike McTigue a hard nut to crack and judging from the look on the Californian's face when the final bell sounded, he was mighty happy that the fight was over.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2011 January 12, Simon Shuster, “Will the E.U. Let Belarus' Despot Off the Hook?”, in Time",
"text": "\"But Belarus is a hard nut to crack, and it has used these methods to slip out of these East-West pincers before,\" says Alexander Klaskovsky.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A situation, person, group, etc. which is difficult to overcome or deal with."
],
"links": [
[
"difficult",
"difficult"
],
[
"overcome",
"overcome"
],
[
"deal with",
"deal with"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, by extension) A situation, person, group, etc. which is difficult to overcome or deal with."
],
"tags": [
"broadly",
"idiomatic"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English idioms",
"English terms with quotations",
"Quotation templates to be cleaned"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1885, G. A. Henty, chapter 7, in In Freedom's Cause",
"text": "The next day Archie, with Andrew Macpherson and Cluny Campbell, made their way through the woods until within sight of the castle. . . .\n\"It would be a hard nut to crack, Sir Archie,\" his lieutenant said. \"Unless by famine, the place could scarce be taken.\"",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1929 March 15, “Five Mexican Armies March to Meet Rebels”, in Reading Eagle, USA, retrieved 2011-09-22, page 1",
"text": "Durango, however, may be a hard nut to crack, as it is strong strategically and is reported guarded by 4000 rebels.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2008 October 17, Barbara Wall, “Housing crisis? Not for the superrich”, in New York Times, retrieved 2011-09-22",
"text": "Nice work if you can get it, but the luxury market is a hard nut to crack.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A place, opportunity, etc. to which it is difficult to gain entry."
],
"links": [
[
"place",
"place"
],
[
"opportunity",
"opportunity"
],
[
"entry",
"entry"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) A place, opportunity, etc. to which it is difficult to gain entry."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English idioms"
],
"glosses": [
"An amount that is difficult to finance."
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) An amount that is difficult to finance."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-hard nut to crack.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/bb/En-au-hard_nut_to_crack.ogg/En-au-hard_nut_to_crack.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/En-au-hard_nut_to_crack.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "harder nut to crack"
},
{
"word": "hardest nut to crack"
},
{
"word": "difficult nut to crack"
},
{
"word": "tough nut to crack"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"word": "难以攻克的困难"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"word": "en hård nød at knække"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"word": "kova pähkinä purtavaksi"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "harte Nuss"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"roman": "egóz qashé l'fitzúaẖ",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "אֱגוֹז קָשֶׁה לְפִצּוּחַ"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"word": "kemény dió"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "twardy orzech do zgryzienia"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "krépkij oréšek",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "кре́пкий оре́шек"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "hueso duro de roer"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "challenging problem to solve",
"word": "çetin çeviz"
}
],
"word": "hard nut to crack"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.