get-tough

The compound adjective "get-tough" is a modern American English formation, originating in the early 20th century. It creatively combines the common verb "get," implying a process of becoming or adopting a state, with the adjective "tough," which denotes resilience, harshness, or inflexibility. This construction follows a productive pattern in English for creating descriptive terms for policies or attitudes, such as "get-rich-quick." The literal sense of "becoming tough" evolved into a fixed idiom describing any strategy or stance deliberately designed to be uncompromising and assertive, often in political, managerial, or law enforcement contexts.

Structure: get (to become) + tough (strong, severe) - get: From Old Norse 'geta' (to obtain, to beget). In this compound, it functions as a verb meaning "to become." - tough: From Old English 'tōh' (strong, tenacious, difficult to break). In this compound, it functions as an adjective describing a quality of firmness or severity.