tough all over, bud

Originated on Taste of Chaos 2007 in tour catering, it has since spread to Warped Tour and Family Values; it's also been popularized among high school students in Shanghai, China by an American grad student teaching English/History classes there.

Initially used to describe life on the road (hard work, constant annoyances, temperature extremes), it also checkmates complainers by referencing the universal toughness of life (and says, "I don't care".)

Can also be said to oneself after failing / not getting what you want / getting in trouble.

"So this stagehand came back to the kitchen and said he didn't get enough to eat"
"What'd you do?"
"I said, LOOK BUD, it's tough all over"
______________

(whiner droning on about work nonsense during cartoon time on the bus):
"such a bad day, im so pissed off at this guy cause..."
"yeah it's tough all over, bud...now shut the fuck up...Aqua Teen"
______________

"did you hear what happened to Fleetwood?"
"what happened to Fleetwood?"
"he got pulled over and the cops found 30 ecstasy tabs"
"Fuckin' ouch! Tough all over bud!"
"Fuckin' tough all around"

by Rumbleminz October 12, 2007

When the going gets tough they buckle like a belt

When facing adversity, some individuals rise up to meet the challenge. This antonym of a more well known phrase describes much the opposite—a person who cannot handle pressure and crumples (buckles) in the face of hardship, frequently leading to their own failure.

"I would say 'when the going get tough, the tough get going', but even though she studied for weeks, when Anna went in for the final test, she totally blew it."

"I'm not surprised, it's Anna after all. When the going gets tough, she buckles like a belt."
("When the going gets tough they buckle like a belt used" when in a sentence may include pronounces, or a name instead.)

by AmraKamra May 6, 2023

It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken

What a woman typically says to her husband when her lips begin to hang.

Man- Honey, your lips are loose.

Wife- It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken

by goatgoatgoat666 May 8, 2013

Tough muffler

When a girl goes down on a guy in the rain while he fingers her

I just got a tough muffler in the park

by Binary01 July 23, 2019

tank tough

A term for a phony tough guy who acts like he owns the gym. Often smells bad from wearing the same clothes and cant wipe his own ass and has cheesy tattoos. Will use steroids, plastic surgery and any other short cut to impress people. While most people snicker behind their back you often find him posing in pictures with his shirt off and looking in the mirror thinking he's an adonis.

Check out that guy in the skull t-shirt grunting and slamming weights on the ground, hes tank tough.

by RRDawg March 16, 2011

Tough Turkeys

Something a Santa Monica douche bag urban hipster VFX Supervisor says to people in Hollywood when they ask him a question.

Person 1: Hey, would you like me to help you with that thing?

Santa Monica Person: No. Tough Turkeys.

by zoostory May 16, 2011

Rough, Tough, Cream Puff

This is the OG definition: Suck it up. Too bad, so sad. The effort is rough and tough. If you're complaining or questioning if it can be done, you are the cream puff.

LUKE: Master, moving stones around is one thing, this is totally different. YODA: Rough, tough, cream puff.

by VandoVanVanningham May 2, 2025