There's tough, and then there's tough

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi.
“There’s tough, and then there’s tough.
Let us introduce you to some members of a winter swimming club in…, where temperatures often reach 30 degrees Celsius below zero.”

–Also were found: “There’s tough… then there’s Tina Clark tough!” and “There’s ‘tough’ and then, there’s Rollergirl tough” which makes it look a set expression and sound like ‘there is (someone) tough and there is someone even tougher’.
Used to compare two things, each of them outstanding?..

2

I’d say,
Used to compare two things: the first, good to excellent; the second, outstanding.

3

Beeesneees,
Can I write as below when comparing:
“Both things are very good; the first, good to excellent; the second, outstanding.”
Please comment.
Thanks.

4

It’s not logical. How can something ‘good’ be ‘very good’. How can something ‘very good’ be ‘outstanding’.

You could say

Both things are above average, the first …