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3. there's the rub

there's the rub

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there's the rub

here is the difficulty You can't get a job unless you have experience. And there's the rub – how do you get experience if you can't get a job?

Usage notes: also appears as here's the rub and that's the rub: The factory is ready to go, but here's the rub – there's no market for the products.

See also: rub

There's the rub.

  (old-fashioned) also Therein lies the rub. (old-fashioned)

something that you say when you are explaining what the difficulty is in a particular situation You can't get a job unless you have experience. And there's the rub - how do you get experience if you can't get a job?

See also: rub