a Gordian knot

(formal)

a difficult problem

Usage notes: In an old story, King Gordius of Phrygia tied a complicated knot which no one could make loose, until Alexander the Great cut it with his sword.

Homelessness in the inner cities has become a real Gordian knot.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Dinh	-	Vietnamese
Geertje	KHAY:R-tyə	Dutch
Dileep	-	Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu
Thorne	[θɔ:n]
Nick	NIK	English, Dutch
Feri	-	Hungarian