hard-nosed
Strict or unfeeling. That guy seems so hard-nosed that I'm afraid to say hi to him! My brother, the hard-nosed police officer, becomes a gushing fool if you ask him about his baby daughter. Nobody can see these kinds of heinous atrocities every day and not become at least somewhat hard-nosed.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
hard-nosed
Fig. stern and unforgiving. Mr. Howe was known to be very hard-nosed, but he could really be friendly if you got to know him.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
hard-nosed
mod. stern and businesslike; unsympathetic. It takes a hard-nosed manager to run a place like this.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.