[General] 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?
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[FONT=&quot]But it was when the ladies were alone that Becky knew the tug of war would come. (W. Thackeray, “Vanity Fir”)[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Barbara: Is the bargain closed, Dolly?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Cusins: No: the price is settled; that is ll. The real tug of war is still to come. (B. Shaw, “Major Barbara”)[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]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”)[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]tug of war = an obstinate struggle, a stubborn engagement, [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]V[/FONT]

 

[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

[FONT=&quot]Tug of war Synonyms, Tug of war Antonyms | Thesaurus.com[/FONT]
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Tug of War: A Judge's Verdict on Separation, Custody Battles, and the Bitter Realities of Family Court

[FONT=&quot]Tug-of-war - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]At Small Scales, [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Tug-Of-War[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Between Electrons Can Lead to Magnetism[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]tug of war = [/FONT]any hard struggle, esp. between two equally matched factions

[FONT=&quot]tug-of-war - definition of tug-of-war by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.[/FONT]
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