over the hump


Past the most difficult part, as in She's over the hump with her dissertation; she'll soon be done. This expression alludes to a barrier that impedes progress. [Colloquial; 1920s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.