Hi this is a Tutor Nick P and this is Adjective Phrase 51. The adjective phrase
today is hard as nails. Okay. Let's take a look at the note here. If someone says
that another person is hard as nails, it means that he or she is very tough or
without sentiment or feeling. So they don't easily feel sorry for others.
It can mean one is tough physically you know, in this physical strength or
mentally, And is also used to suggest one is uncompromising. That they're not
willing to give in to others. So they they're not willing to compromise much.
They're not willing to you know , in the very tough to bargain with. They don't
give up much. All right. So let's continue. Some believe the origin of this phrase
dates back to Charles Dickens novel of "Oliver Twist. " You know, that's a famous
classic in 1837 when the character Fagin. Yes. This was an old guy who took care of
street urchins and taught them to be pickpockets. Yeah. So street urchins these
were especially at this time in the 1800's.
I don't know maybe due to poverty or disease or something a lot of parents
died and there was a lot of kids that were just left to wander the streets. So
he picked up some of these kids, but he didn't really teach them good morals.
He taught him to be pickpockets. So they worked for him being pickpockets
and he took care of them. He fed them but he and that was what he did he taught
them to be . You know, somebody that steals from others. He will be a pickpocket I guess
you know if you catch a child that's a pickpocket. Then not likely that child is
going to be punished very seriously. Where an adult who's caught pickpocketing
would be charged you know, very seriously. Anyway, let's continue. Let's continue. When the character Fagin
took care of street urchins and taught them to be pickpockets asked if they had
been at work this morning. So I guess a couple of them came in and he asked well
have you been at work this morning ? You know, have you been trying to pick some
pockets ? Okay. "Hard" replied the Dodger. All right. Well if you ever
know this story. The Dodger was probably the main boy that was you know in this
group. "As Nails. " added Charley Bates . All right. He was another boy that was a pickpocket.
Later on of course Oliver Twist who was an orphan you know, he ends up meeting
this group and they taught him to do that and then he eventually... he gets
caught and you know they find out his real identity. And it's connected to you
know there's still some family alive. So it has kind of a good good ending too it.
But this is where this phrase comes from. So when Fagin asked , have they been
working . Dodger said "Hard"like they've been working hard and the other voice
said "as anils. " So they've been working hard as nails. Okay. Let's continue. Some say
this phrase replaced an older term with the same meaning "hard as Flint or hard
as stone. " So those that phrase used to be around before this one. All right. Let's
continue. We got three examples here. Here's the
example. Number one. Don't expect, expect the boss to give you a raise. He is hard
as nails. Well this might be somebody. Maybe they talking to some other
employees. That they might want to ask the boss for a raise and this is what
the other employees were saying. Well good luck with that one.
All right. Number two. That judge is very strict.
He often throws the book at people if the verdict is guilty. He is known for
being hard as nails. Yeah. If you throw the book at someone ... you know, if a judge
does that, that means they punished them as seriously as they can. You know, to the
full extreme or to the full extent. Okay. Number three here. The third one , He is
tough to negotiate with. They say he is hard as nails. So not easy to try to get
this other person to give in and compromise and give you a lot of what you
want as well. He's hard as nails. Difficult to compromise with this person.
Okay. Anyway I hope you got it. I hope it is clear. I hope it was very informative. Thank
you for your time. Bye-bye.