die hard
verb1
Idiomatic Of a living being, to die only after a desperate struggle for life.
2
Idiomatic Of a custom, idea, etc. to be slow in changing or disappearing.
- Already, however, in this earliest phase, new types cease to be invented; technical skill lingers on and dies hard, but inspiration has gone.1907, Ronald M. Burrows, The Discoveries In Crete, page 99:
- In Scotland, though, some of the Caledonian products have died hard. They were mostly good straightforward engines.1954 May, John W. Grant, “A Railway Requiem”, in Railway Magazine, page 349:
1 more example
- Another incentive to Glaswegians to make full use of their new facilities is that road-rail competition has died hard in this area and the prevailing fare levels, even though rail rates were recently increased, are somewhat low by standards elsewhere in Britain—[...].1960 December, “The Glasgow Suburban Electrification is opened”, in Trains Illustrated, page 715:
- Derived terms
- die-hard, diehard, old habits die hard
- Related terms
- you can't teach an old dog new tricks