The car broke down, so our ox is in the ditch today.
ox is in the ditch
idiomThis is a big problem; there is unavoidable or demanding work ahead.
Origin
disputed originAn allusion to the urgency and difficulty of extracting an ox from a ditch in which it has become mired.
With the deadline moved up to tomorrow, our ox is in the ditch and we must work all night.
Facing a sudden financial crisis that threatened the entire project, the team realized their ox was in the ditch and immediately began seeking an emergency solution.