long row to hoe

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long row to hoe (plural long rows to hoe)

1. (idiomatic) A difficult, arduous task or set of tasks; a lengthy, demanding project.
   • 1907, William Dean Howells, chapter 5, in Between the Dark and the Daylight:

     “Don’t you suppose I know all that you’ve been through. . . ? I’ve followed you every step. . . .”
     “Well, you’ve had a long row to hoe.”

   • 1997 November 29, “Dollar Nears 5-Year High Against the Yen”, in New York Times, retrieved 23 July 2014:

     Japan's six-year economic slump is far from over. “They have a long row to hoe for recovery,” said Richard Koss.

   • 2009 April 11, Hanif Kureishi, “Margaret Thatcher: Acceptable in the 80s?”, in The Guardian, UK, retrieved 23 July 2014:

     Labour has begun to redress the balance, but there is still a long row to hoe.

• tough row to hoe, hard row to hoe

• row to hoe