hard act to follow

Slang definitions & phrases for hard act to follow

hard act to follow

noun phrase

Something or someone difficult to rival or beat: Dr Nick's going to be a hard act to follow

[1975+; from the notion of a performer coming next on a variety bill]

tough act to follow

noun phrase

A challenging or daunting prelude: her portrayal of Cat-woman was a tough act for Michelle Pfeiffer to follow

[1980s+; fr the vaudeville ambiance where one performer succeeded another; one truism was ''Never follow a dog act'']

Idioms and Phrases with hard act to follow

hard act to follow

Also, tough act to follow. An outstanding performance or individual. For example, Lucy was a terrific group leader—hers is a hard act to follow, or Bob's record is excellent—it will be a tough act to follow. This expression, dating from about 1900, was originally used for a particularly good vaudeville act that made the next act look poor by comparison. It soon was extended to other enterprises.