Idiom of the week: A hard nut to crack

Do you remember "a piece of cake"? Well, then it's only fair you learn an idiom which means exactly the opposite, just in case you ever need it. By the way, we're back to food idioms.

In English, something which is difficult to deal with is called "a hard nut to crack". There's not much more to it than that, it's as simple as it sounds: unless you have a nutcracker or a hammer at hand, you're highly unlikely to crack a nut. It may also apply to difficult people:

'Did you persuade her to go out with you?'

'No, I'm afraid she's a hard nut to crack.'

Sometimes we don't have the scope of choice, but I do hope your life is full of cake, not nuts.