it's a tough job, but someone's got to do it
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
The job is a particularly difficult and undesirable one.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Firefighters have to put themselves in serious danger in order to save lives. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
The role or assignment is a particularly attractive or desirable one.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Vai trò hoặc nhiệm vụ rất hấp dẫn hoặc mong muốn
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Register: colloquial, humorous, ironic
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “it's a tough job, but someone's got to do it” mean?
The job is a particularly difficult and undesirable one.
Is “it's a tough job, but someone's got to do it” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.