trouble with

the trouble with (someone or something)

The most irritating or troublesome aspect or characteristic of someone or something. The trouble with kids these days is that they have no concept of patience—with technology, they get whatever they want, whenever they want! The trouble with cycling to work is how sweaty you get on the way.
See also: trouble

trouble (someone or oneself) with (someone or something)

1. To bother or inconvenience someone with something, such as a problem, question, or task. There's no need to trouble the boss with this—the project manager should be able to help you resolve it. Excuse me, could I trouble you with a couple of questions for my school paper?
2. To concern oneself with or worry about someone or something. Often used in negative constructions. In this usage, a reflexive pronoun is always used. It's just a minor technical error that should resolve itself—don't trouble yourself with it. I know I need to stop troubling myself with such negative people, but I can't help letting their comments get to me.
3. To burden or inconvenience oneself with the undertaking of some task. Often used in negative constructions. In this usage, a reflexive pronoun is always used. Don't trouble yourself with cutting the lawn, Jeremy, I can do that another time. He couldn't trouble himself with backing up his files, and now he's lost all of his work.
See also: trouble
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

trouble someone with something

to bother someone with something, such as a question or a problem. I hate to trouble you with this, but could you help me adjust my binoculars? Don't trouble yourself with this matter.
See also: trouble
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • gripe to (someone or something)
  • gripe to (someone or something) about (someone or something)
  • gripe about (someone or something) to (someone or something)
  • a fine how do you do
  • fine how do you do
  • never hear the end of
  • never hear the end of it
  • never hear the end of something
  • gripe
  • gripe about (someone or something)
References in classic literature
Yesterday he even had some trouble with the police because of his thrashing the steward of these buildings.
Poor Folk
'Oh, Miss Grey!' she would say, 'you have some trouble with them childer!'
Agnes Grey
The book is organized into eight potential problem areas (which are also the chapter headings): I havenAEt begun yet and I already feel lost; IAEm having trouble managing my research process; IAEm having trouble transitioning from prewriting to writing; IAEm having trouble organizing my analysis; IAEm having trouble writing and explaining legal rules; IAEm having trouble with application and analysis; IAEm having trouble with the smaller components of legal writing; IAEm having trouble polishing my writing.
The Legal Writing Companion: Problems, Solutions, and Samples
"It focuses on whatever it takes to do what really matters: getting kids into school, the toughest families out of trouble with the police and adults into a position where they can find a job."
Scheme is helping troubled families
The trouble with our modern society is that people neither have the time nor the inclination to listen anymore.
THOUGHT for the DAY
The trouble with Trouble From the Start is that it's too timid.
All smoke, no fire
When Donald Pirone saw that a fellow transit rider was having trouble with a token vending machine, he figured he'd be helpful.
When Donald Pirone saw that a fellow transit rider was having trouble with a token vending machine, he figured he'd be helpful
Carl Hiassen's Flush (0375821821, $16.95) tells of a father who has trouble with anger control, and who tries to stop a boat's illegal dumping by sinking it.
Random House
And the ex-UFF boss coming back to stir up trouble with his own side is just a recipe for disaster.
Voice of the People: Johnny keep out
They might confuse the signs for the operations and have trouble with manipulative materials for money, measurement, and time.
They would tend to have trouble with multi-step math problems because they cannot remember all of the steps (Bley and Thornton, 2001).
A review of literature on mathematics instruction for elementary students with learning disabilities
Many players had previously been in trouble with the law, with some arrested for car theft, vandalism and shoplifting.
Soccer league ends foul play off the pitch
Any runner can get into toe trouble with the right (or wrong) conditions.
You can always tell a runner....by the toenails