You can argue, potentially, that they may face a difficult environment, should inflation take off, with their input costs going up, and a tougher ability to pass through pricing.
But what was believable was the fact that the tailor thought he could knock Brody out with a rock, but totally underestimated the Congressman's Marine-tough ability to shake it off.
Punch http://www.fgi.net/LincolnLegalPapers and you'll find this description of Lincoln's tough professional abilities before the horse-and-buggy bar of his time: "Neither flowery nor bombastic, he nevertheless frequently sought continuances, changes of venue, dismissals on technical grounds, and other tactical maneuvers when it was to his client's advantage.
What has made him tough is his ability to infuriate the opposition.
What makes Robertson so tough is his ability to retire left-handed batters, a responsibility that has assumed greater importance because of injuries to Rafael Soriano, Joba Chamberlain and Pedro Feliciano, and the inconsistency of Boone Logan.
If he was a nippy striker then you would not be so optimistic, but he was never especially quick anyway and relied more on positional sense, a tough challenge and ability in the air.
Housing analyst Henry Pryor said the Bank was also acting to ensure people did not borrow more than they could afford: "What they are doing is bringing in these new regulations [which include a series of tougher questions about ability to repay] to make it much harder, much tougher, for those of us who need a mortgage in order to buy a house, to actually qualify for one.
Much tougher is the ability to increase production quickly, and here the Saudis have taken the lead.
Don't forget to stay true to your ability, as tough piano pieces will translate into tough violin music.
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve, for all its power, faces tough new limits on its ability to keep the economy out of a recession.
"He's big, tough and has the ability to make you miss.
