when the going gets rough
when the going gets rough
When things become very difficult or unpleasant to deal with; when it becomes very hard to keep carrying on. Everyone in our neighborhood is very close, so when the going gets rough for anyone, there's always someone to lend a hand. We all work pretty independently here, but our boss always helps out when the going gets rough.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.