I. adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a difficult/hard/tough decision
▪
In the end I took the difficult decision to retire early.
a formidable/daunting/tough challenge (= a very difficult one )
▪
How to deal with waste is a daunting challenge for the west.
a severe/stiff/heavy/tough/harsh penalty
▪
There were calls for stiffer penalties for killers of police officers.
a strong/tough opponent (= one that is difficult to defeat )
▪
Arizona is a strong opponent, but the Oregon team intend to beat them.
a tough approach (= dealing with something in a severe way )
▪
The council adopted a tough approach to fighting crime.
a tough guy (= a man who is strong and not afraid, especially one who is good at fighting )
▪
He’s trying to prove he’s a tough guy.
a tough/hard battle
▪
He faces a tough battle to prove his innocence.
a tricky/tough question (= one that is difficult to answer )
▪
That’s a really tricky question.
be tough on crime (= punish crime severely )
▪
Politicians want to appear tough on crime.
firm/tough action
▪
We need firm action to deal with the problem.
have a good/religious/tough etc upbringing
▪
He had a rather unsettled upbringing, moving with his father from town to town.
stiff//tough/fierce/intense/keen competition (= strong competition )
▪
There is stiff competition for places at the best universities.
strict/stringent/tough
▪
The regulations surrounding the handling of nuclear waste are very strict.
strict/tough
▪
the country’s strict anti-tobacco laws
stringent/strict/rigorous/tough standards (= high standards that are difficult to reach )
▪
The Marines’ rigorous standards mean that only a small proportion of applicants are successful.
take a tough/firm/hard line on sth
▪
The school takes a very tough line on drugs.
tough restrictions (= strict )
▪
He called for tougher restrictions on contributions to political parties.
tough (= difficult )
▪
At this stage of the competition, every match is tough.
tough (= difficult to chew )
▪
The meat was tough and chewy.
tough/hard
▪
He said he expected the race to be tough.
tough/strict sanctions (= severe )
▪
Due to strict sanctions, the country is unable to import the medicines it needs.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
how
▪
As well as negotiating from strength, Rank had a realistic perception of just how tough he would have to be.
▪
No whining about how tough it will be to start over, no self-congratulatory odes to her own courage.
▪
Rose has learned how tough that can be.
▪
Just how tough it could be for the independent producer is evident from the history of Minerva Films.
▪
Look at the bottom of the table and you can see how tough it is going to be.
really
▪
You can also buy really tough but heavy steel pegs which you can hammer into very hard ground with a rock.
▪
Two of the nights were really tough .
▪
It's time to get really tough .
▪
It was tough for Steve, really tough for him.
▪
My birthday was really tough because Peter always made a big fuss of it.
▪
The really tough part was to isolate enough allatostatin in the first place.
▪
But it was the longer-range items that were really tough .
▪
Women have it really tough . 9.
so
▪
He was so tough , so unbending and uncompromising, and I don't think he's changed.
▪
And it is easy to see why competition for First Municipal is so tough .
▪
Why did Alice talk so tough to a sick lump?
▪
But because she's so tough , you don't know if there's something wrong with her.
▪
One reason, they made clear, is that members of the Senate Appropriations Committee are not talking so tough this year.
▪
To me, those stepchildren seemed so tough and hard and nothing like you imagine them to be.
▪
I was just bad enough to kill for my country, but not so tough that I would ever offend or disobey.
very
▪
She says the heat made it very tough but it was good fun.
▪
Ya was a good fighter, very tough .
▪
Mr Abbott said he was extremely tired and negotiations were very tough .
▪
She was known to be very tough and a very hard worker.
▪
She's very tough and very sweet at the same time.
▪
It is very , very tough on him mentally.
▪
Paul has written some very tough things in his letter to the church in Rome.
▪
Older birds are often very tough and have an unpleasant aroma; they should be avoided whenever possible.
■ NOUN
action
▪
Police have now warned of tough action against plans to hold any future rave parties.
▪
Law and order, to take an important example, wins few votes except by the threat of tough actions and crackdowns.
▪
He called for tougher action by police on motorists who illegally park in and around existing bus stops.
▪
Ten consumer groups, along with some veterinarians and meat inspectors, are urging even tougher action .
▪
A new lobbying group has been formed to press the Government for tougher action on climate change.
▪
She says tougher action is needed.
▪
We will take tough action against monopolies, mergers and financial raids.
▪
But the authorities seem unable or unwilling to take tough action .
competition
▪
Their profits are weakening thanks to tougher competition , loan write-offs and a rising cost of funds.
▪
As the new version of Navigator goes on sale Friday, Netscape is facing the toughest competition of its young life.
▪
Aircraft manufacturers like Boeing have also been forced by tough competition to offer steep discounts.
▪
Many independent petrol stations are expected to close because of the price war caused by tougher competition .
▪
Yes, the Dallas Cowboys consider Green Bay much tougher competition these days.
cookie
▪
We're tough cookies here, and so are you.
▪
Now, women on television are depicted as tough cookies who need a man like a fish needs a trouser press.
▪
Being a dedicated tough cookie , he has delivered the goods in impressive manner.
▪
In general, the provincial circuit is a far tougher cookie than its metropolitan counterpart.
▪
Mr Kinnock is clearly a tough cookie .
decision
▪
In straitened times, group directors will face tough decisions about allocating resources between divisions.
▪
These were my unofficial board of directors, the people I could reach out to when I had tough decisions to make.
▪
Tapping into that courage demands more than intellectual commitment and tough decision making.
▪
A key election issue where those who run services have to make tough decisions .
▪
In it, Clinton recapped some of his toughest decisions , and important moments in his presidency, good and bad.
▪
Deciding how much money each department will get calls for tough decisions .
▪
Cowher, 34 at the time, was picked in a tough decision .
fight
▪
But it's being treated that way and a tough fight is promised.
▪
Harry Reid, face a tough fight on the Senate floor.
▪
Now he is facing his toughest fight yet - back to fitness after suffering a fractured fibula and damaged ankle ligaments.
▪
If champions are gauged by their ability to win tough fights , Marco Antonio Barrera has quite a future.
▪
Anyway, Unix now faces a much tougher fight for survival against Microsoft Corp - or are we imagining things?
▪
It was a very tough fight .
▪
Both the defenders and opponents of the Constitution girded for a tough fight .
guy
▪
He is a classic modern tough guy as well as being an Old Testament prodigal son.
▪
My boss there was one of the toughest guys I ever hope to meet.
▪
Yet although often seen as a tough guy , Bob Hoskins has tried to avoid typecasting.
▪
Fujimori knows a fellow tough guy when he sees one.
▪
They're just guns for hire: tough guys sent on a job.
▪
This is a rather startling admission from a noted tough guy .
▪
Likes to kid everyone he's the big macho tough guy .
▪
Two young men in their late teens mugged for the camera, adopting the pose of a couple of affable tough guys .
job
▪
Hers is one of the toughest jobs in the show.
▪
Teaching values to the young is always a tough job , and the ultimate responsibility falls on parents.
▪
City analysts and financial advisers said the company would have a tough job convincing people that the deal was workable.
▪
Management is a tough job to do well even under the best circumstances because of the demands and personal commitment required.
▪
Huntsmen know that convincing opponents they are ecologists is a tough job .
▪
Guessing earnings is a tough job .
▪
Jupp Heynckes faces a tough job at a club desperately in need of coherent policies.
▪
He may see that you are a little bit out of control, and then you really have a tough job .
line
▪
The Home Secretary, David Blunkett, took a tough line , saying that he would not tolerate wanton destruction and violence.
▪
Jack is not discouraged by her tough line .
▪
On the other side, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright took a similarly tough line .
▪
Tough line: Langbaurgh Council is to take a tougher line with tenants who harass their neighbours.
▪
Whereas the United States was in favour of taking a tough line , Britain argued that economic aid should not be stopped.
▪
They stressed that it was vital that environmental groups took a very tough line with the industry right at the outset.
▪
If she had taken a tougher line with them at once, they would have known where to stop.
love
▪
In the world of rehabilitating addicts, this is known as showing your child tough love .
▪
It was just a good, tough love story, and that was one of the parts that made it tough.
measure
▪
He promised tougher measures to beat the criminals.
▪
Cresson had originally demanded even tougher measures .
▪
On a recent morning, it was evident that Gavrilova's tough measures had not wiped out drunkenness.
▪
Implementing them means we have to resort to some tough measures in the short and medium term.
▪
United Nations approval for the tough measures is expected next week.
▪
Nevertheless, some LEAs are adopting tough measures .
▪
On Aug. 7 Hashimoto unveiled a series of tough measures which included laws to penalize investors as well as brokers for compensation payments.
▪
The tough measures should not include any increase in taxation, including National Insurance.
nut
▪
Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack.
▪
Beverley was a tougher nut to crack.
▪
West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment.
▪
Shearer, a tough nut not inclined to whinge, said his ankle was like a pudding.
▪
Tax will be an even tougher nut .
part
▪
The toughest part was selling the $ 150 tickets.
▪
The toughest part of robbing nowadays is to find somebody that has some-thing.
▪
But that saying-whatever-I-wanted-to part , now that was the toughest part of all.
▪
The really tough part was to isolate enough allatostatin in the first place.
penalty
▪
Police fear thieves are turning to car crime because the courts are imposing tougher penalties for burglary and robbery.
▪
He says he would add tougher penalties for non-workers the moment Clinton gave him the necessary leeway.
▪
Councils and other public agencies are threatened with tough penalties if they fail to improve.
▪
It proposes tough penalties for industries which cause water pollution to help reverse the decline.
▪
It argued that these were not soft options but properly applied would be tough penalties which aided the battle to reduce crime.
▪
The ban on sale or display is backed by tough penalties , including a heavy fine and up to three years' imprisonment.
question
▪
This was a tough question for Sullivan.
▪
The appearance is adversarial-tough reporters asking tough questions .
▪
Both sides must confront tough questions .
▪
The young architect acknowledged that it was a tough question , that he faced it on site often.
▪
His eyelids blinked rapidly as he registered the toughest questions .
▪
The Perot crowd here peppered him with tough questions about free trade and wealth, and he rarely stumbled.
restriction
▪
Britain bans cigarette advertising on television, but, with tough restrictions , allows other tobacco advertising.
▪
Many states are devising programs with even tougher restrictions .
▪
The proposal came amid fears that the Ministry of Agriculture might introduce tougher restrictions or even an outright ban.
stance
▪
Their tough stance followed talks at Camp David in which Mr Bush agreed to delay action until the new year.
standard
▪
Fewer than 30 of Britain's 450 designated bathing beaches passed the tougher standard last summer.
▪
Apply slightly tougher standards for employers who hire temporary foreign workers for specialty jobs in the high-tech industry and elsewhere.
talk
▪
Towards the end of September, western governments finally resumed their tough talk .
▪
Wilson promises tough talk with Jiang Sacramento Gov.
▪
Zhu's tough talk on corruption plucked a chord among the delegates.
▪
Pretty tough talk from a guy who liked to wear dresses.
task
▪
It promises to be his toughest task since his comeback two years ago.
▪
This time, Republicans may face a tougher task in the House than in the Senate because of substantial turnover.
▪
It promises to be a tough task .
▪
I believe that doing so is a step in the tough task of getting ready to capitalise on economic recovery.
▪
Voice over People searching for work face a tough task .
▪
Skipper John Best is nevertheless faced with the tough task of ensuring that his crew are the best for the job.
test
▪
All the same, Amstrad seems to be an unnecessarily tough test , even for the redoubtable Mr Potter.
▪
Mr Jakes will face his toughest test yet when he confronts an emergency meeting of the central committee this week.
▪
It was Bates' toughest test in the competition so far which has seen other top seed tumble in the early stages.
▪
Allowing your children's choice-making skills to develop is one of parenthood's toughest tests .
▪
We join the mountain bikers on their toughest test .
▪
We put five brands of cracker through the toughest test of alla children's party at the Abercromby Day Nursery in Toxteth.
time
▪
There can hardly ever have been a tougher time to persuade banks to part with their money.
▪
They say Time Warner, which has been roiled by management changes, will have a tough time digesting Turner.
▪
Paul was having a tough time himself supervising the contouring of the land around the three-tier pool Stephen had eventually commissioned.
▪
Over the years, great players have generally had a tough time making the transition to coaching.
▪
The problem seems to be that many women are having a tough time making their mark higher up the career ladder.
▪
These are tough times right now when it comes to work.
▪
Vegans: Vegetarians who eat neither eggs nor dairy products may have a tough time consuming enough vitamin B-12.
times
▪
It is an unwelcome symptom of very tough times .
▪
Stories about mishaps teach youngsters that families and friends stay together through tough times .
▪
In social terms these were tough times and certainly there seemed to be a new excitement in the movies.
▪
These are tough times right now when it comes to work.
▪
In good times and in tough times?
▪
It unites people, protests wrongs and helps one endure tough times .
▪
Well, I've had tougher times .
▪
We especially love testimonials of people who overcome tough times .
year
▪
Although it would be a tough year for sure, revenue was not dropping anything like as much as the bookings percentage.
▪
Fresh cuts mean that schools, the health service, and bus and rail travellers will face another tough year .
▪
But he said I had a tough year .
▪
Companies are facing another tough year in 1992, Keith Wey, economist, told an association conference in London yesterday.
▪
After a tough year in 1991, the brand is back with a revamped range for 1992.
▪
It is going to be a tougher year than most.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a hard/tough etc act to follow
▪
Clearly Amelia was a hard act to follow.
▪
Colm Toibin's piece will be a hard act to follow but I suspect you are up to it.
▪
I know that she will be a tough act to follow.
▪
It was a hard act to follow, but the poor did what they could to provide respectable funerals for their dead.
▪
John's is, of course, a hard act to follow.
▪
The new model has a tough act to follow.
▪
You've certainly set us a hard act to follow!
a hard/tough nut to crack
▪
Daytime television is a tough nut to crack. New shows have to be good enough to beat the old favorites.
▪
Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack.
▪
Beverley was a tougher nut to crack.
▪
West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment.
a hard/tough row to hoe
▪
Improving schools with little funding is a tough row to hoe.
▪
They have a hard row to hoe.
a hard/tough sell
as hard/tough as nails
▪
Willie O'Connor is as hard as nails and Liam Simpson takes no prisoners.
awkward/tricky/tough etc customer
▪
A tough customer , a man to be reckoned with.
▪
But he'd take on some one like Glenda Grower, who's a much tougher customer .
▪
But the tough treatment was only for tough customers .
▪
He's overcome some genuinely tough customers , but Gimenez was abject.
▪
He looks a tough customer to deal with.
▪
The next, you're making speeches to the wind. Tricky customers , ordinary people.
bad/hard/tough luck
▪
Can't have that, can we, not on top of all your other hard luck .
▪
He felt that this little piece of bad luck might affect his whole day.
▪
I kept looking into the mirror and hating my bad luck , but there they were.
▪
There were lots of near misses: some great saves from both keepers, and sheer bad luck .
▪
Unfortunately, the gents had bad luck .
▪
You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before.
be a hard/stern/tough taskmaster
▪
If self-employment is any guide, the dejobbed worker is likely to be a stern taskmaster .
▪
She was a hard taskmaster but a considerably fairer one than la Belle Ethel.
▪
True to his word, he schooled her in horsemanship and was a hard taskmaster .
talk tough (on sth)
▪
Cell warrior: Prisoner who talks tough when safely in his cell but who is meek when out of it.
▪
Electioneering, he had talked tough about getting government off the backs of the people.
▪
Politicians enjoy an easy ride by provoking crime fear and talking tough about punishment.
▪
So far the Fed has talked tougher about inflation than it has acted.
▪
This Government talks tough for public consumption but has no stomach for action.
▪
You talk tough but inside you're just like all the rest of us.
▪
You karate the walls, you talk tough to the mirror.
tough/hard nut
▪
Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack.
▪
Back, now, to the hard nuts .
▪
Beverley was a tougher nut to crack.
▪
One glance was all it took to realise this was one hard nut to crack - his features still completely impassive.
▪
Shearer, a tough nut not inclined to whinge, said his ankle was like a pudding.
▪
Tax will be an even tougher nut .
▪
West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment.
tough/smart cookie
▪
Barney's a tough cookie . He knows how to play politics.
▪
Being a dedicated tough cookie , he has delivered the goods in impressive manner.
▪
In general, the provincial circuit is a far tougher cookie than its metropolitan counterpart.
▪
Monroe herself, of course, was a smart cookie , but she knew enough to play dumb.
▪
Mr Kinnock is clearly a tough cookie .
▪
Now, women on television are depicted as tough cookies who need a man like a fish needs a trouser press.
▪
The Gingerbread Man Summary A fox ate a smart cookie .
▪
Unless Newman is a smart cookie .
▪
We're tough cookies here, and so are you.
when the going gets tough, the tough get going
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
a tough neighborhood
▪
a pair of tough leather boots
▪
Being the new kid at school is always tough .
▪
Geri's a tough lady.
▪
He's a good person to be with if ever you're in a tough situation.
▪
I know she's only a kid, but she's tough .
▪
In games like this it is more important to be mentally tough , than physically fit.
▪
Many of the veteran players had a tough time adjusting to the coach's style.
▪
My grandmother was a tough old lady, who lived through some very hard times.
▪
Normal floor paint might not be tough enough for the garage.
▪
Opposition leaders are demanding tougher laws against drinking and driving.
▪
She's quite tough with her students.
▪
The box is made of tough durable plastic.
▪
The chancellor has got to be tough and keep government spending down.
▪
The chicken was very tough , as though it had not been freshly cooked that day.
▪
The federal government is introducing tough new rules to control immigration.
▪
The governor is trying to show voters that he's able to deal with the toughest issues facing Ohio today.
▪
The investigators asked a lot of tough questions.
▪
The judge asked the lawyers on both sides some very tough questions.
▪
The sailors wore jackets made from tough waterproof cotton.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
Archbishop Fisher went so far as to write a very tough letter to the editor in defence of Ramsey.
▪
As the new version of Navigator goes on sale Friday, Netscape is facing the toughest competition of its young life.
▪
His head was probably tougher than a brass doorknob.
▪
In straitened times, group directors will face tough decisions about allocating resources between divisions.
▪
Times were tough and jobs scarce in 1936, and it proved necessary for most young men to land where they could.
▪
Westinghouse last week adopted a poisonpill plan to make any takeover attempt tougher.
II. verb
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a hard/tough etc act to follow
▪
Clearly Amelia was a hard act to follow.
▪
Colm Toibin's piece will be a hard act to follow but I suspect you are up to it.
▪
I know that she will be a tough act to follow.
▪
It was a hard act to follow, but the poor did what they could to provide respectable funerals for their dead.
▪
John's is, of course, a hard act to follow.
▪
The new model has a tough act to follow.
▪
You've certainly set us a hard act to follow!
a hard/tough nut to crack
▪
Daytime television is a tough nut to crack. New shows have to be good enough to beat the old favorites.
▪
Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack.
▪
Beverley was a tougher nut to crack.
▪
West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment.
a hard/tough row to hoe
▪
Improving schools with little funding is a tough row to hoe.
▪
They have a hard row to hoe.
a hard/tough sell
as hard/tough as nails
▪
Willie O'Connor is as hard as nails and Liam Simpson takes no prisoners.
awkward/tricky/tough etc customer
▪
A tough customer , a man to be reckoned with.
▪
But he'd take on some one like Glenda Grower, who's a much tougher customer .
▪
But the tough treatment was only for tough customers .
▪
He's overcome some genuinely tough customers , but Gimenez was abject.
▪
He looks a tough customer to deal with.
▪
The next, you're making speeches to the wind. Tricky customers , ordinary people.
bad/hard/tough luck
▪
Can't have that, can we, not on top of all your other hard luck .
▪
He felt that this little piece of bad luck might affect his whole day.
▪
I kept looking into the mirror and hating my bad luck , but there they were.
▪
There were lots of near misses: some great saves from both keepers, and sheer bad luck .
▪
Unfortunately, the gents had bad luck .
▪
You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before.
be a hard/stern/tough taskmaster
▪
If self-employment is any guide, the dejobbed worker is likely to be a stern taskmaster .
▪
She was a hard taskmaster but a considerably fairer one than la Belle Ethel.
▪
True to his word, he schooled her in horsemanship and was a hard taskmaster .
sweet-spirited/tough-spirited/rebellious-spirited etc
tough/hard nut
▪
Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack.
▪
Back, now, to the hard nuts .
▪
Beverley was a tougher nut to crack.
▪
One glance was all it took to realise this was one hard nut to crack - his features still completely impassive.
▪
Shearer, a tough nut not inclined to whinge, said his ankle was like a pudding.
▪
Tax will be an even tougher nut .
▪
West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment.
tough/smart cookie
▪
Barney's a tough cookie . He knows how to play politics.
▪
Being a dedicated tough cookie , he has delivered the goods in impressive manner.
▪
In general, the provincial circuit is a far tougher cookie than its metropolitan counterpart.
▪
Monroe herself, of course, was a smart cookie , but she knew enough to play dumb.
▪
Mr Kinnock is clearly a tough cookie .
▪
Now, women on television are depicted as tough cookies who need a man like a fish needs a trouser press.
▪
The Gingerbread Man Summary A fox ate a smart cookie .
▪
Unless Newman is a smart cookie .
▪
We're tough cookies here, and so are you.
when the going gets tough, the tough get going
III. noun
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a hard/tough etc act to follow
▪
Clearly Amelia was a hard act to follow.
▪
Colm Toibin's piece will be a hard act to follow but I suspect you are up to it.
▪
I know that she will be a tough act to follow.
▪
It was a hard act to follow, but the poor did what they could to provide respectable funerals for their dead.
▪
John's is, of course, a hard act to follow.
▪
The new model has a tough act to follow.
▪
You've certainly set us a hard act to follow!
a hard/tough nut to crack
▪
Daytime television is a tough nut to crack. New shows have to be good enough to beat the old favorites.
▪
Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack.
▪
Beverley was a tougher nut to crack.
▪
West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment.
a hard/tough row to hoe
▪
Improving schools with little funding is a tough row to hoe.
▪
They have a hard row to hoe.
a hard/tough sell
as hard/tough as nails
▪
Willie O'Connor is as hard as nails and Liam Simpson takes no prisoners.
awkward/tricky/tough etc customer
▪
A tough customer , a man to be reckoned with.
▪
But he'd take on some one like Glenda Grower, who's a much tougher customer .
▪
But the tough treatment was only for tough customers .
▪
He's overcome some genuinely tough customers , but Gimenez was abject.
▪
He looks a tough customer to deal with.
▪
The next, you're making speeches to the wind. Tricky customers , ordinary people.
bad/hard/tough luck
▪
Can't have that, can we, not on top of all your other hard luck .
▪
He felt that this little piece of bad luck might affect his whole day.
▪
I kept looking into the mirror and hating my bad luck , but there they were.
▪
There were lots of near misses: some great saves from both keepers, and sheer bad luck .
▪
Unfortunately, the gents had bad luck .
▪
You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before.
be a hard/stern/tough taskmaster
▪
If self-employment is any guide, the dejobbed worker is likely to be a stern taskmaster .
▪
She was a hard taskmaster but a considerably fairer one than la Belle Ethel.
▪
True to his word, he schooled her in horsemanship and was a hard taskmaster .
sweet-spirited/tough-spirited/rebellious-spirited etc
talk tough (on sth)
▪
Cell warrior: Prisoner who talks tough when safely in his cell but who is meek when out of it.
▪
Electioneering, he had talked tough about getting government off the backs of the people.
▪
Politicians enjoy an easy ride by provoking crime fear and talking tough about punishment.
▪
So far the Fed has talked tougher about inflation than it has acted.
▪
This Government talks tough for public consumption but has no stomach for action.
▪
You talk tough but inside you're just like all the rest of us.
▪
You karate the walls, you talk tough to the mirror.
tough/hard nut
▪
Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack.
▪
Back, now, to the hard nuts .
▪
Beverley was a tougher nut to crack.
▪
One glance was all it took to realise this was one hard nut to crack - his features still completely impassive.
▪
Shearer, a tough nut not inclined to whinge, said his ankle was like a pudding.
▪
Tax will be an even tougher nut .
▪
West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment.
tough/smart cookie
▪
Barney's a tough cookie . He knows how to play politics.
▪
Being a dedicated tough cookie , he has delivered the goods in impressive manner.
▪
In general, the provincial circuit is a far tougher cookie than its metropolitan counterpart.
▪
Monroe herself, of course, was a smart cookie , but she knew enough to play dumb.
▪
Mr Kinnock is clearly a tough cookie .
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Now, women on television are depicted as tough cookies who need a man like a fish needs a trouser press.
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The Gingerbread Man Summary A fox ate a smart cookie .
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Unless Newman is a smart cookie .
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We're tough cookies here, and so are you.
when the going gets tough, the tough get going
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Charles's body language was geared to communicating to street toughs.
IV. adverb
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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The team plays tough when it has to.