# ox is in the ditch

> English word · Phrase

## Definitions
1. This is a big problem; there is unavoidable or demanding work ahead.

## Etymology
An allusion to the urgency and difficulty of extracting an ox from a ditch in which it has become mired.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ox-is-in-the-ditch