tug of war

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to give me your considered opinion concerning the interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentences?

But it was when the ladies were alone that Becky knew the tug of war would come. (W. Thackeray, “Vanity Fir”)

Barbara: Is the bargain closed, Dolly?
Cusins: No: the price is settled; that is ll. The real tug of war is still to come. (B. Shaw, “Major Barbara”)

Such men had no chance with him when it came to the tug of war; he laid his will on them as if they had been children. (J. Galsworthy, “Caravan”)

tug of war = an obstinate struggle, a stubborn engagement,

V

[Tdol]

Yes, with the idea generally that the sides are fairly evenly balanced IMO.

[J&K Tutoring]

Perhaps you don't know that Tug of War is a game or contest in which two teams pull at opposite ends of a strong rope in opposite directions. The winning team pulls a mark in the center of the rope past a preset goal, sometimes bringing the other team into a mudpit or some other degrading punishment. This is a popular team-building game within companies.

So, in the examples you cited, Tug of War means a (mental) struggle in opposite 'directions'.

[vil]

Russia, Turkey in South Stream tug of war

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Tug-of-war - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

At Small Scales, Tug-Of-War Between Electrons Can Lead to Magnetism

tug of war = any hard struggle, esp. between two equally matched factions

tug-of-war - definition of tug-of-war by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.