tricky racket

English

Etymology

Originally from tricky (“difficult”) + racket (“illegal scheme for profit”). Over time, this expression has lost its implication of illicitness.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ækɪt

Noun

tricky racket (plural tricky rackets)

1. A type of business or endeavor that is not easy; a domain fraught with difficulty.
   • 1985, Daily Report: Asia & Pacific - Issues 170-179, page 491:

     The puppet clique's anticommunist tricky racket is an intolerable challenge to the South Korean youths, students, and people desiring indpendence, democracy, and reunification and is an unbearable provocation against us who are making all efforts to remove the confrontation and mistrust between the North and the South and achieve the fatherland's independent and peaceful reunification.

   • 2012, Matthew Hughes, Costume Not Included: To Hell and Back:

     "This crimefightin' can be a tricky racket," said the demon.

   • 2018, Nicolás Obregón, Sins As Scarlet:

     The internet used to be the Wild West. But more and more these days it's getting to be a tricky racket.