• to be always hard at it, to work hard
• to drive a hard bargain
• to tighten one's grip on, to tighten one's grip round
• to chew sy out, to give sy a curry, to go for sy scone-hot, to go sy scone-hot
• to chew sy out, to go for sy scone-hot, to go sy scone-hot
• to pull one's finger out
• to say hard things to sy, to say harsh things to sy
• have a run for one's money
• to rebut an insinuation