rough sledding

• hard sledding

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rough sledding (uncountable)

1. (idiomatic) A difficult period of time.

   We're running out of money. It's going to be rough sledding from now on, but we'll have to cope.

   • 2007 December 3, anonymous GOP strategist, quoted in Dan Balz, "'30 Days of Rough Sledding'" (blog entry), The Washington Post online:

     Rudy's team did not handle last weeks discovery well. They are in for 30 days of rough sledding.