hard-nosed

[thedaffodils]

hard-nosed Fig. stern and unforgiving. Mr. Howe was known to be very hard-nosed, but he could really be friendly if you got to know him.

hard-nosed - Idioms - by the Free Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

Could someone tell me why hard-nosed refers to stern and unforgiving? Why not hard-teeth?

Thanks!

 

[BobK]

hard-nosed - Idioms - by the Free Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

Could someone tell me why hard-nosed refers to stern and unforgiving? Why not hard-teeth?

Thanks!

I doubt it! (but it would be 'hard-toothed' )

I suppose it mighthave something to do with the idiom 'nose to the grindstone' - meaning hard at work. )The nose comes into it because a person working hard (at a mental job) often has his/her head bowed.)... But I doubt it. I think it's just one of those things.

b

 

[thedaffodils]

Thank you, BobK.

 

[mmasny]

I can only guess, but I'll try anyway after looking up several dictionaries. I think it could have evolved from 'hard-nosed' meaning stubborn - most dictionaries give only this meaning by the way. Then this one could have been made as some kind of a synekdoche from 'hardheaded' which means exactly the same, and whose origins seem much less vague.