Hard TimesOne worth keeping

“That's a hard row to hoe.”

A tough job that only gets done one painful foot at a time.

More for hard times →

In the same vein

All Hard Times →

“It's root hog or die.”

Fend for yourself, because nobody's coming to feed you.

“You can't get blood from a turnip.”

Can't take from someone what they simply don't have.

“Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug.”

Life alternates between hitting and being hit.

“The creek's up and the well's dry.”

Everything's going wrong in both directions at once.

“Make do or do without.”

Fix it, stretch it, or learn to live with the hole.

“If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”

Wanting a thing badly has never once made it show up.