bitter end

Etymology
The figurative usage is influenced by.

Noun

 * 1)  That part of an anchor cable which is abaft the bitts and thus remains inboard when a ship is riding at anchor.
 * pay out a rope to the bitter end pay out all of the rope
 * 1)  The final six fathoms (11 m) of anchor chain before the point of attachment in the chain locker of modern US naval vessels.
 * 2)  The end of a long and difficult process.

Translations

 * French:
 * Russian:


 * Finnish: katkera loppu