deuce of a challenge
- idiom
- Archaic
:
un verdadero desafío
- Repairing the old car without manuals proved a deuce of a challenge.
Examples
-
The final level of the game was a deuce of a challenge to complete.
-
Getting his approval for the project was a deuce of a challenge.
-
This project is a real deuce of a challenge!
-
Completing the marathon was a deuce of a challenge for me.
-
Building a house from scratch was a deuce of a challenge for the inexperienced team.
-
Preparing for the final exams while working full-time was a deuce of a challenge.
-
Finding a solution to the complex problem became a deuce of a challenge for the engineers.
Synonyms
∞
3.1
A difficult task that tests a person's skill and will
4
5.3
A situation or task that is hard to do
A very difficult task that needs a lot of effort
A difficult task that needs a lot of effort
A difficult problem that needs careful handling
How Difficult
- Archaic
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase uses 'deuce' as an idiomatic intensifier (something like 'devilish' or 'very troublesome'), which is not a straightforward compositional meaning from the interjection sense given. Because 'challenge' clearly signals difficulty, a learner might guess it means a strong or frustrating difficulty, but the intensifying/idiomatic role of 'deuce' is not fully predictable for a B1 learner, so partial inference is possible but not complete.
Etymology
Deuce of a challenge comes from an old saying where deuce meant the 'devil' or something very nasty. So, calling a job a deuce of a challenge makes it sound like a devilish task, very hard and frustrating, which is why today it means a very difficult task.