What it means
The biggest, nastiest hurdle right at the end. You use it for the one last thing that stands between you and being done, whether that's a brutal exam, a nightmare form, or your mate's terrifying mum. If that's the final boss, everything before it was just the warm-up level.
Usage examples
"Got through every interview round, now the final boss is the salary chat."
"Folding the fitted sheet is the final boss of laundry."
"Thought I was done moving house, then the final boss turned out to be building the flat-pack wardrobe."
"We smashed the whole project, but presenting it to the client was the final boss."
Where it comes from
It comes straight from video game talk, where the final boss is the last and hardest enemy before you finish the game. From there it jumped into everyday English for any last, horrible challenge that makes the rest look easy.
Editors of this term
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