A tough, no-nonsense person who is practical, pragmatic, and unwilling to compromise; also a type of fish.
Compound of 'hard' and 'nose,' emerging in American English in the early 20th century. Originally described fish species, then metaphorically applied to tough-minded people.
'Hardnose' is a great example of how American slang creates metaphors from physical descriptions—if someone has a 'hard nose' they're unyielding, the logic being that nose are soft and vulnerable, so a hard one suggests unusual toughness.
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