a difficult task or job to perform, or a roughsituation or set of circumstances to confront or deal with. Row here refers to the straightline of ground upon which one plants crops. A hoe is a farming tool having a long handle with a flat blade at the end set at a right angle, used to break up the ground or to chop up weeds in preparation for planting vegetables (which are usually planted in rows). This phrase comes from nineteenth century America when many people lived in rural areas and worked on farms and ground that was hard or rocky would be difficult to hoe.