a heck of a somebody/something
a surprisingly good person or thing a hell of a somebody/something It's a heck of a deal from a business standpoint. He's a great teacher, and besides that, he's a heck of a nice guy.
a heck of a something
a very difficult activity or bad thing a hell of a something We have a heck of a time putting the day's news into a half-hour program. That was a heck of a present – why would anyone think you wanted such an ugly painting?