What is meant by uphill both ways?

"Uphill both ways" is a humorous exaggeration used to describe a situation that was much more difficult than it is today. It's often used to mock someone who is complaining about something relatively minor, implying that things were *much* harder in the past.

Here's how it works:

* The "uphill" part: This refers to the physical challenge of walking uphill, which is harder than walking on flat ground.

* "Both ways": This doubles down on the difficulty, suggesting that the person had to walk uphill to get somewhere, *and then uphill again to get back home*.

Example:

* "Kids these days have it easy. We had to walk uphill both ways to school, in the snow, barefoot!"

This statement is meant to be funny, because it's unlikely that anyone actually walked uphill both ways to school in the snow, barefoot. It's a humorous exaggeration used to contrast the perceived ease of modern life with the perceived hardships of the past.

The phrase is often used ironically, acknowledging that while things might be easier now, they were still difficult in the past.

However, it can also be used seriously, sometimes as a way of dismissing someone's complaints as trivial.