There's the rub

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Meaning

That is the central difficulty, obstacle or inconvenient point. Somewhat literary but concise. Rub means obstacle here, not friction or massage. Regional use: Origin in English drama using an older English noun; now international English.

Origin

Hamlet says 'Ay, there's the rub' in the 'To be or not to be' soliloquy, written around 1600-01, when considering that unknown dreams after death obstruct the appeal of suicide. Rub already meant an impediment, probably reinforced by bowls, where a flaw or unevenness could divert a ball. Modern speakers normally use the shortened clause without the surrounding meditation.

Research Sources

  1. Hamlet - Entire Play Folger Shakespeare Library
  2. To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub Phrase Finder

Variants

  • There is the rub
  • Ay, there's the rub
  • That's the rub

Usage Examples

  • The design is elegant, but it cannot be repaired locally; there's the rub.
  • We agree on the destination, yet nobody will fund the journey, and there is the rub.
  • The data are public but not comparable: that's the rub.

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