hard case

a hard case

A person who is cynical, hostile, or difficult to work with or be around. John can be a bit of a hard case when you first meet him, but he's actually a very decent guy once you get to know him. I heard they're sending a real hard case to evaluate our appeal, so I don't know how good our chances are.
See also: case, hard
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

hard case

1. n. a case of liquor. Pete wanted a hard case delivered to his house.
2. n. a person who is a real problem. Jed has turned into a hard case. He’s fighting us at every turn.
See also: case, hard
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • a hard case
  • a bit of a...
  • a bit of a/an
  • do (one's) bit
  • do bit
  • do one's bit
  • do your bit
  • bark is worse than one's bite, one's
  • bit by bit
  • cat's-paw
References in classic literature
But the very genteel lady's English chariot being already horsed and at the inn-door, the landlord had slipped up-stairs to represent his hard case. This was notified to the yard by his now coming down the staircase in attendance on the gentleman and the lady, and by his pointing out the offended majesty of Mr Dorrit to them with a significant motion of his hand.
That crew of Liverpool hard cases had in them the right stuff.
Stephen Yaxley-Lennon switched his to Tommy Robinson to sound more like a hard case with street cred.
The RUGID Compound Bow Case ($209.99) gives your bow and accessories the protection of a hard case in a soft-case design.
The model features a big windscreen, hard case saddlebags, mid-set foot pegs rather than the front-set pegs, a big instrument cluster, smartphone multimedia connectivity and other new technology.
The soft-sided hard case is lined with high-density foam specifically cut to these crossbows' dimensions.
It includes the components you need to perk form routine cleaning and a handy hard case with an organizing tray.
A Cold, Hard Case is Book 5 in the Luca mystery series and opens with the re-emergence of a 25-year-old cold case involving a murdered teen; something outside of Florida homicide detective Frank's usual cases.
The rifle comes with a hard case and two magazines.
Another riveting read from Titan Comics' Hard Case Crime series of graphic novels, "Quarry's War" is very highly recommended and entertaining read.
He admitted he used his "hard case" image to get ahead in politics.
Each purchase includes a hard case, neck strap, and tripod adapter.
Included are four different-sized silicon earbuds to ensure a comfortable fit, a cotton carrying pouch for the headphones and accessories, and a new steel hard case.
So if you can, leave behind expensive items or buy a hard case to protect gadgets going into the hold - but at your own risk.