hard sledding (uncountable)
- Difficulties, generally; a rough time.
1934, Rex Stout, Fer-de-Lance, Bantam, published 1992, →ISBN, page 4:When things got so Wolfe had to cut down expenses […] , Saul Panzer and I got our weekly envelopes sliced, but [Fred] Durkin's was stopped altogether. Wolfe called him in when he was needed and paid him by the day, so I still saw him off and on and knew he was having hard sledding. […]
"Hello, Fred do I owe you something?"
[…] "How are you, Mr. Wolfe. I wish to God you did. If there was anybody owed me anything I'd be with him like a saddle on a horse."
