The French expression “la croix et la bannière” translates literally to “the cross and the banner”.
English meanings:
- a tall order
- an uphill struggle
French meanings:
- c’est très difficile – it’s very difficult
In history, it was a tall order to get everybody organized with dignitaries and clergy walking behind the cross and banners.
- Mon propriétaire est vraiment tres radin et obstiné. C’est la croix et la bannière pour faire venir un plombier quand on a un problème dans la salle de bains. My landlord is really stingy and stubborn. It’s really a tall order to get a plumber to come when we have a problem in the bathroom.
Synonyms:
- un défi de taille – Lit: A challenge of size
- pas une mince affaire – Lit: Not a small matter
- un challenge – A challenge (anglicism)
