hard row to hoe
hard row to hoe or tough row to hoe {n. phr.}
A hard life to live; a very hard job to do.
She has a hard row to hoe with six children and her husband dead.
Young people without enough education will have a tough row to hoe when they have to support themselves.
Syn.: HARD SLEDDING.
Categories:
Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms