Difficulty - Causing Difficulty

Master English idioms that relate to causing difficulties, like "the chill wind of" and "a pain in the neck".

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a pain in the (ass|butt) [phrase]

a person or thing that annoys one very much

Ex:

a victim of {one's} own success [phrase]

a situation in which an individual or organization faces negative consequences or difficulties as a result of their own achievements or accomplishments

Ex: He started a small business that grew rapidly , but he soon realized he had become a victim of his own success when he could n't keep up with the increased demand .

a pain in the neck [phrase]

a person or thing that causes one great annoyance or a lot of difficulty

Ex:

to [be|go|get] beyond a joke [phrase]

to start becoming a source of trouble or worry

Ex: The delays in the public transportation system have been going on for months , and it 's getting beyond a joke .

to [get] in the way of {sb/sth} [phrase]

to not let someone do something or to prevent something from getting done by causing problems

Ex: The heavy traffic got in the way of us reaching the airport on time for our flight .

long haul [noun]

a task that needs a great amount of time and effort to finish

Ex: The marathon is a long haul , but with proper training and determination , you can reach the finish line .

stumbling block [noun]

something that prevents the progress or occurrence of something

Ex: Procrastination is a common stumbling block that prevents people from achieving their goals .

to [take] a lot out of {sb} [phrase]

to exhaust one mentally or physically in order to be done or achieved

Ex:

the (last|final) straw [phrase]

the final and decisive event or action that pushes someone beyond their tolerance or patience, leading to a significant reaction or decision

Ex: The team had been performing poorly , and the coach 's public criticism of the star player was the final straw that caused him to request a trade .

a monkey on {one's} back [phrase]

a problem that is in no way easy to solve or get rid of

Ex: Her chronic health condition has been a monkey on her back , requiring ongoing treatment and impacting her quality of life .

like kicking (dead|) whales down the beach [phrase]

used to refer to a task or activity that is completely pointless and illogical

Ex: Trying to fix a leaking faucet without the right tools is like kicking dead whales down the beach .

to [get] {one's} hands dirty [phrase]

to engage in manual work, particularly one that is exhausting or of high difficulty

Ex: The manager is n't just an office worker ; he 's not afraid to get his hands dirty and work on the factory floor when needed .

thorn in {one's} (side|flesh) [phrase]

a person or thing that is problematic and hard to deal with

Ex:

the chill wind of {sth} [phrase]

a collection of problems that are caused by something

Ex: As the economic crisis deepened , many families began to feel the chill wind of financial hardship .

milestone around {one's} neck [phrase]

an inescapable problem or responsibility that proves too much for one to bear

Ex: The author 's first bestselling novel became a milestone around their neck as readers and critics constantly expected them to produce equally impressive works .

tar baby [noun]

a problem that becomes more difficult to deal with the more one tries to solve it

Ex: The company 's financial troubles proved to be a tar baby for the new CEO , as each attempt to improve the situation seemed to make it worse .

the straw that [break] the (camel's|donkey's) back [phrase]

one of several difficulties happening after one another that finally makes it intolerable for someone to continue something

Ex:

to [be] drown (in|with) {sth} [phrase]

to be overwhelmed or completely absorbed by a specific thing, experience, or emotion

Ex:

Difficulty
Hard Tasks	Difficult Challenges	Causing Difficulty	Troublemaking
Adding Complexity	Experiencing Difficulties	Facing Unpleasantness	Easy Tasks
Without Effort	Acceptance & Relief	Means & Solutions