have one's work cut out for one

English

Alternative forms

• have one's work cut out

Verb

have one's work cut out for one (third-person singular simple present has one's work cut out for one, present participle having one's work cut out for one, simple past and past participle had one's work cut out for one)

1. (idiomatic) To face a large task or project.

   If he plans to translate all the idioms, he has his work cut out for him.

   • 2011 September 16, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     While Henry will no doubt earmark areas for improvement, and take into account the weakness of the opposition, it was a far more efficient and focused display than against Tonga and suggests the French will have their work cut out to avoid finishing second in the group in Auckland next week.

   • 2018 January 18, Jennifer Rubin, “How the Republicans are blowing their blame game”, in The Washington Post‎^[2]:

     Republicans will have their work cut out for them trying to shift blame to Democrats for their own erratic, haphazard and incoherent process.

Translations

Translations

• Finnish: olla iso urakka edessä (subject in the adessive)
• French: avoir du pain sur la planche (fr)
• German: gut zu tun haben, ein schönes Stück Arbeit vor sich haben
• Polish: mieć po uszy robotę impf
• Russian: име́ть по го́рло рабо́ты impf (imétʹ po górlo rabóty), придётся попоте́ть (pridjótsja popotétʹ), име́ть пе́ред собо́й тру́дную зада́чу impf (imétʹ péred sobój trúdnuju zadáču)
• Spanish: tener mucha tela que cortar
• Ukrainian: мати багато роботи (maty bahato roboty), мати по горло роботи (maty po horlo roboty), прийдеться попотіти (pryjdetʹsja popotity)

See also

• be in for
• run for one's money