The Free Dictionary

1,034,638,330 visitors served.

Dictionary/
thesaurus

Medical
dictionary

Legal
dictionary

Financial
dictionary

Acronyms

Idioms

Encyclopedia

Wikipedia
encyclopedia

when the going gets tough

Also found in: Wikipedia

0.04 sec.

when the going gets tough

when a situation becomes difficult or unpleasant. I run the farm on my own, but a local boy helps me out when the going gets tough.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form if the going gets tough and sometimes followed by the tough get going or, for a humorous effect, the tough go shopping: When Anna gets upset, she goes out and buys something — you know, when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.

See also: going, tough

?Page tools

Printer friendly

Idioms browser

Full browser

when it comes to the crunch
when push comes to shove
when ship comes in
when sneezes, catches a cold
when the chips are down
when the dust settles
when the going gets rough/tough

when the going gets tough
when was a twinkle in father's eye
when/while back is turned
When/While the cat's away
where is coming from
Where there's a will there's a way
Where there's muck, there's brass
where there's smoke, there's fire

when the cat's away, the mice will play

When The Children Are Asleep (2point4 children)

When the Children Cry

when the chips are down

when the chips are down

When the Clouds Roll by

When the common law and statute law concur

When the Deal Goes Down

When the Devil Holds the Candle

When the Doves Cry

When the Dust Settles

When the Dust Settles

When the Eagle Flies

When the Eagle Hunts

when the fancy takes

when the fancy takes

when the fancy takes

when the fancy takes

when the fancy takes

When the foundation fails

When The Freak (polite form)

When the Going Gets Dark

when the going gets rough

when the going gets rough/tough

when the going gets tough

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Go Shopping (2point4 children)

When the Good Times Come (Hard Rain album)

When the Ham Turned

When The Hangover Strikes

When the Heartache Is Over

When the Hot Ice Melts

When the Kite String Pops

When the Lady Smiles

When the Last Sword Is Drawn

When the Last Time

When the law gives anything

When the law presumes the affirmative

When the Legends Die (book)

When the Levee Breaks

When the Levees Broke

When the Lights Go Down

When the Lights Go Down (song)

When the Lights Go Out

When The Lights Go Out (single)

When The Lion Feeds

When the Money's Gone

When the Money's Gone/Love One Another

When the Moon Comes over the Mountain

Free Tools:	For surfers: Browser extension \| Word of the Day \| Help For webmasters: Free content \| Linking \| Lookup box \| Double-click lookup \| Partner with us

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.. Terms of Use.