half the fun, trouble, etc. of something

half the fun of (something)

Something that significantly contributes to the enjoyment or pleasure of something. It takes some time to bake a cake, but I love measuring and mixing all the ingredients—that's half the fun of it for me.See also: fun, half, of

half the trouble of (something)

Something that significantly contributes to the tediousness or difficulty of something. Going through security at the airport is half the trouble of flying.See also: half, of, trouble

half the ˈfun, ˈtrouble, etc. of something

(informal) much or a great deal of the enjoyment, etc. of something: Half the pleasure of coming home is finding out what’s been happening while you were away. ♢ ‘The team should play better with a new manager.’ ‘That’s half the trouble — everybody expects too much of him.’See also: half, of, something