heck of a

heck of a

1. Quite good or impressive. That was one heck of a party you threw for Kelly. Everyone said they had such a great time. He's a heck of a ballplayer. I wouldn't be surprised if he made it to the pros someday.
2. Very difficult. I had a heck of a time trying to change the flat tire. The lug nuts didn't want to budge.
See also: heck, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

a heck of a —

used for emphasis in various statements or exclamations. informal
Of dialect origin, heck is a late 19th-century euphemism for hell .
1989 Guardian It is not entirely true to say everyone who is anyone has been coached there, but a heck of a lot have.
See also: heck, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • a heck of a
  • a hell of a
  • hell of a
  • hell of a (person or thing)
  • hell of a someone/something
  • helluva
  • helluva (something)
  • heck of a lot of
  • what the heck
  • What the heck!
References in periodicals archive
Michael Brown, the beleaguered recent head of FEMA, may have felt momentarily bucked up when President Bush spoke those now famous words: "You're doing a heck of a job, Brownie." But it turns out Bush throws that compliment around all over the place.
--Jim Towey, director of White House faith-based office, "He did a heck of a job being a lawyer," March 1, 2005
--Tommy Thompson, outgoing Secretary of HHS, "He's done a heck of a job," October 26, 2004
Jeff Miller (R-FL), "He's doing a heck of a job for the people of the panhandle," August 10, 2004
--Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan, "You're doing a heck of a job," June 9, 2004
Bill Frist (R-TN), "He's doing a heck of a job," May 27, 2004
The Italian job: where Washington insiders get their hair cut