devil of a

Idioms  

1. Also,; hell of a. Infernally annoying or difficult, as in This is a devil of an assembly job, or She had one devil of a time getting through the traffic, or I had a hell of a morning sitting in that doctor's office. The first expression dates from the mid-1700s. The variant is a couple of decades newer and its precise meaning depends on the context. For example, We had a hell of a time getting here invariably means we had a very difficult or annoying time, but He is one hell of a driver could mean that he is either very good or very bad (see hell of a, def. 2).

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Example Sentences

“We had a devil of a time trying to get a handle on it,” said Basil Merenda, a deputy secretary for Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry, the parent agency of the disability determination office.

From Washington Post

As Hanna Raskin reported last week in our Food section, Charleston restaurant owners are “having a devil of a time” finding staff to meet the increasing demand for their services.

From Washington Times

“We know that’s the case in Nevada, we know it’s the case in Pennsylvania and a number of other states, but we have had a devil of a time finding actual proof. Why?”

From Washington Times

The Duggars’ nickname for a classic dish has been giving people a devil of a time online.

From Fox News

With all these crazy loons in his caucus running for president from the Senate floor, Mr. Schumer will have a devil of a time just keeping enough of them in town and out of Iowa and New Hampshire to hold a vote.

From Washington Times