Tough cookie
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="teacher">teacher</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="that">that</span> “<span word="your">your</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="cookie">cookie</span>”?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="You">You</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="asked">asked</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="teacher">teacher</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="question">question</span>, <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="all">all</span>.</p><p><span word="You">You</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="asked">asked</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="teacher">teacher</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="seem">seem</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="answer">answer</span> <span word="for">for</span>.</p><p><span word="Your">Your</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="nut">nut</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="crack">crack</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Tough">Tough</span> <span word="cookie">cookie</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="mostly">mostly</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="describe">describe</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="person">person</span>, <span word="though">though</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="so">so</span>-<span word="and">and</span>-<span word="so">so</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="cookie">cookie</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="strong">strong</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="determined">determined</span> <span word="person">person</span>.</p><p><span word="Like">Like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="nut">nut</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="crack">crack</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="cookies">cookies</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="sway">sway</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="persuade">persuade</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="change">change</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="alter">alter</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="attitude">attitude</span>.</p><p><span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="easily">easily</span>, <span word="at">at</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="rate">rate</span>.</p><p><span word="Literally">Literally</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="cookie">cookie</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="dried">dried</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="exposed">exposed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="air">air</span> – <span word="as">as</span> <span word="cookies">cookies</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="wont">wont</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="wintertime">wintertime</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>. <span word="Unlike">Unlike</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="soft">soft</span> <span word="delicacies">delicacies</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="freshly">freshly</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="oven">oven</span>, <span word="dried">dried</span> <span word="cookies">cookies</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="hardened">hardened</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="chew">chew</span>.</p><p><span word="Like">Like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="nut">nut</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="plus">plus</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="patience">patience</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="suppose">suppose</span>, <span word="cookies">cookies</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="cookies">cookies</span>.</p><p><span word="So">So</span>, <span word="take">take</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="compliment">compliment</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="teacher">teacher</span> <span word="considers">considers</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="cookie">cookie</span>”. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="teacher">teacher</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="answer">answer</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="he">he</span> (<span word="or">or</span> <span word="she">she</span>) <span word="does">does</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="answer">answer</span> <span word="it">it</span> – <span word="in">in</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="time">time</span>. <span word="Perhaps">Perhaps</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="teacher">teacher</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="answer">answer</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="having">having</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="awhile">awhile</span>.</p>
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