Die hard

Already, however, in this earliest phase, new types cease to be invented; technical skill lingers on and dies hard, but inspiration has gone.

In Scotland, though, some of the Caledonian products have died hard. They were mostly good straightforward engines.

Another incentive to Glaswegians to make full use of their new facilities is that road-rail competition has died hard in this area and the prevailing fare levels, even though rail rates were recently increased, are somewhat low by standards elsewhere in Britain—[...].