also: ひとすじなわじゃいかない
expression, i-adjective
not straightforward; hard to manage; tricky
Idiomatic expression meaning a person or situation cannot be handled by ordinary methods; often implies stubbornness, cunning, or complexity.
See also: 一筋縄
彼は一筋縄ではいかない相手だ。
He is not someone you can deal with easily.
この問
This problem is not straightforward.
Literally 'one strand of rope'; used in the idiom 一筋縄ではいかない to mean 'cannot be tied with a single rope', i.e., not easily handled.
From the image of a person or situation that cannot be bound or controlled with a single piece of rope, implying stubbornness or complexity beyond ordinary means.