yoke around {one’s} neck
[phrase]
a heavy and difficult situation or responsibility that someone has to deal with
Ex:
Difficulty - Facing Unpleasantness
Explore English idioms that relate to facing unpleasantness with examples like "bat on a sticky wicket" and "in the eye of the storm".
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![to [bat|be] on a sticky wicket](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/42066/thumb/180?type=jpeg "to [bat|be] on a sticky wicket")
to [bat|be] on a sticky wicket
[phrase]
to be dealing with a critical or extremely difficult situation
Ex:
Trying
to
navigate
the
complex
world
of
international
trade
,
the
negotiators
were
on
a
sticky
wicket
.
![to [be] in for](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/46523/thumb/180?type=jpeg "to [be] in for")
to [be] in for
[phrase]
to be expecting something difficult or undesirable to happen
Ex:
After
hearing
about
the
new
project
's
complexity
,
she
realized
she
was
in
for
a lot of
hard work
.
![to [batten] down the hatches](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/46521/thumb/180?type=jpeg "to [batten] down the hatches")
to [batten] down the hatches
[phrase]
to get ready for trouble, difficulty, or danger
Ex:
Knowing
that
a
challenging
project
was
ahead
,
they
decided
to
batten down
the
hatches
and
create
a
detailed
plan
.
be a man
[interjection]
said to man as a way of asking them to behave less emotional, more though, or more responsible in face of difficulties
Ex:
When
he
hesitated
to
confront
the
issue
,
his
friends
told
him
to
be
a
man
and
address
the
problem
.
![to [catch] a Tartar](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/43128/thumb/180?type=jpeg "to [catch] a Tartar")
to [catch] a Tartar
[phrase]
to get into a confrontation with a person or thing that is more powerful than what one assumed
Ex:
The
young
chess
champion
did
n't
realize
he
would
catch
a
Tartar
when
he
challenged
the
seasoned
grandmaster
.
dog's life
[phrase]
a miserable life filled with difficulties and misfortune
Ex:
Taking
care
of
her
ailing
parents
and
her
own
family
made
her
feel like
she
was
living
a
dog
's
life
.
![to [go] through hell](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/43020/thumb/180?type=jpeg "to [go] through hell")
to [go] through hell
[phrase]
to experience something that is extremely painful or difficult, particularly for a long time
Ex:
The
athlete
trained
rigorously
for
the
competition
,
going through
hell
to
achieve
peak
performance
.
in deep water
[phrase]
in trouble or a very difficult situation
Ex:
The
company
's
financial
troubles
left
it
in
deep
water
,
struggling
to
stay
afloat
.
pretty pass
[noun]
a situation or state that is very undesirable or difficult
Ex:
Discovering
the
extent
of
the
financial
mismanagement
put
the
organization
in
a
pretty pass
,
necessitating
immediate
action
.
the weight of the world
[phrase]
a worrisome or difficult responsibility or undertaking that is a burden to one
Ex:
The
mayor
faced
a
crisis
that
made
it
seem
as if
he
had
the
weight
of
the
world
on
his
shoulders
.
![to [put] years on {sb}](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/44182/thumb/180?type=jpeg "to [put] years on {sb}")
to [put] years on {sb}
[phrase]
(particularly of an event or a difficult situation) to cause a lot of suffering to someone and make them look or feel much older
Ex:
The
constant
financial
struggles
have
put
years
on
them
;
they
look
worn out
from
the
constant
worry
.
![to [rear|raise] its (ugly|) head](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/46625/thumb/180?type=jpeg "to [rear|raise] its (ugly|) head")
to [rear|raise] its (ugly|) head
[phrase]
(of a problem or unpleasant situation) to appear or become noticeable often unexpectedly
Ex:
Just
when
they
thought
the
financial
crisis
was
over
,
economic
instability
reared
its
head
,
affecting
businesses
and
individuals
once again
.
high and dry
[phrase]
(of a person) placed in a difficult situation with little or no resources or help
Ex:
When
her
friends
abandoned
her
during
the
hike
,
she
was
left
high
and
dry
in
the
wilderness
.
in the eye of the storm
[phrase]
used to refer to being in the middle of a chaotic or controversial situation while maintaining a sense of control
Ex:
![the party [is] over](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/42128/thumb/180?type=jpeg "the party [is] over")
the party [is] over
[sentence]
used to say that a period of happiness, enjoyment, etc. has come to an end and one's life is going to get back to the state it previously was, if not worse
Ex:
bad hair day
[phrase]
a day that is full of incidents and misfortunes
Ex:
They
had
a
bad
hair
day
on
their
vacation
,
encountering
unexpected
weather
,
canceled
plans
,
and
lost
luggage
.
face-to-face
[phrase]
in an inevitable confrontation with an unpleasant or difficult situation
Ex:
Eventually,
he
came
face-to-face
with
discrimination
again.
![to [go] sour](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/41295/thumb/180?type=jpeg "to [go] sour")
to [go] sour
[phrase]
(of situations, moods, or relationships) to become unpleasant or unsuccessful
Ex:
Their
romantic
relationship
went
sour
when
they
realized
they
had
different
long-term
goals
.