When the going gets tough...

...the tough get going.






This is a classic expression! It plays with the words and their double meanings, and it makes sense to look at it in detail.


In the first part, the going means the way we have to go, or the thing that we're trying to do. To get tough means to become difficult. So you can translate this as "when the way becomes difficult."


In the second part, the tough refers to strong people. To get going is to start moving. So you could translate this part as "the strong people start moving."


When the going gets tough, the tough get going. When the way becomes difficult, the strong people start moving.


P.S. This post is dedicated to Calderwood and Davis: great friends, great people, a great romance. Two truly tough customers in the best old school sense: quiet heroes.