a deuce of a (something)
An exceptionally bad or difficult thing, activity, or person. This is a deuce of an assignment—I can't understand the first thing about it! Boy, that is a deuce of a haircut. You're going to go out in public like that?
a (or the) deuce of a —
something very bad or difficult of its kind. 1933 John Galsworthy The End of the Chapter It seems there's a deuce of a fuss in the Bolivian papers.