rear its ugly head

rear its (ugly) head

Of a difficult, unpleasant problem, to present itself and force people to deal with it. Fundamentalist extremism has been rearing its head all around the world over the last couple years. I can't believe tax day is already rearing its ugly head again.
See also: head, rear
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

rear its ugly head

Fig. [for something unpleasant] to appear or become obvious after lying hidden. Jealousy reared its ugly head and destroyed their marriage. The question of money always rears its ugly head in matters of business.
See also: head, rear, ugly
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

rear its ugly head

Appear. This phrase is used only of something undesirable or unpleasant, as in The interview went very well until a question about his academic record reared its ugly head . This expression was first recorded in slightly different form in Anthony Trollope's Barchester Towers (1857): "Rebellion had already reared her hideous head."
See also: head, rear, ugly
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • rear its (ugly) head
  • rear its head
  • rear/raise its head
  • raise its (ugly) head
  • come to a bad end
  • come to a bad/sticky end
  • learn (something) the hard way
  • learn the hard way
  • get (something) over with
  • get it over with
References in periodicals archive
He affirmed that the United States will stay in the Middle East and will fight ISIS in order to ensure that ISIS doesn't rear its ugly head again.
US Vice President: Iran is a terrorist and rogue state and seeks to destabilize the Middle East
But when they finally see the dark side lurking behind the former police officer's affable artifice-limned to sinister perfection by the production's 89-year-old award-winning lead actor-they realize what happens when people allow apathy to rear its ugly head.
Dead men tell no tales
Annie is nervous as she prepares for her tribunal, unaware that another problem is going to rear its ugly head. Later, Frankie collapses.
DOC ROCKED BY NEW HEALTH SHOCK
RAWALPINDI -- Provincial Minister for Labour and Human Resources Raja Ashfaq Sarwar has called for vigilance and enhanced measures to stem the dengue larva, which may rear its ugly head in puddles and ponds that have formed in the wake of recent rains.
Minister for enhanced steps against dengue larva
More of the same is expected today, but come tomorrow, the rain will rear its ugly head again.
MAKE HAZE WHILE THE SUN SHINES
Don''t think so, one feels that independence will rear its ugly head again.
IEUAN WYN JONES AM; tweets OF THE DAY
RACISM continues to rear its ugly head in football - and the authorities must clamp down on it.
Racism must be kicked out now
AFTER the recent postal strike, a more damaging refusal to work is about to rear its ugly head. I refer of course to the NHS staff official pay award becoming staggered over 12 months.
NHS pay award will spark unrest
Police forces across the country were rightly criticised for taking almost no action when postal vote fraud began to rear its ugly head between 2002 and 2004.
Safe to vote; THE BIRMINGHAM POST
Events over the past week could be the beginning of yet another opportunity for racism to rear its ugly head again.
Letter: You say - New racist targets
Character education might be a good idea, or it might very well be an insidious project that hides a Nihilism that is too afraid or ashamed to rear its ugly head. It can do some good as long as the teacher has the good sense to ignore the Nihilism lurking behind the post-modern liberalism that denies the very existence of universal truth and is willing to take a solid and realistic stand on what life is ultimately about and live it as a role model for students.
Character education in a public school
THE issue of euthanasia looks set to rear its ugly head any day now, following the case of baby Charlotte Ward, whom a judge has decreed doctors must be allowed to let die, and now with the case of the little baby in Alder Hey Hospital.
Letter: Burden on judges
Seagulls supporters will acknowledge that a relegation battle will soon rear its ugly head despite their mid-table position.
Lay of the day Brighton (v Sheffield United)
The last dispatch from the tortured movie production of Lords of Dogtown claimed that Sony had shelved it "due to script concerns." This recent disclosure has inspired several rabid media wenches to offer cash incentives to anyone who could provide them with a copy of this "offensive" Stacy Peralta/Roger Avary screenplay which pundits are already calling "Animal Pulp Chindog Fiction." EBay pirates such as the ubiquitous Sarge, Dicky Discount, and Barfly are all claiming that a for-sale copy exists and will soon rear its ugly head. Sony partisans are said to be in a "suppress any and all information" mood.
Trash
The book contains little that's new; after all, it's not like the right has thought the left has been correct about communism all these years, nor is it the case that communism is about to rear its ugly head. Perhaps Charen merely looked at the titles in Regnery Publishing's expansive "Blame the Liberals" series of best-sellers, and realized that now would be an opportune time to snatch this niche.
Pink pander