a trancas y barrancas

1.
SpainLatin Americacolloquial
- With great difficulty or effort and many obstacles; with much trouble and many setbacks.
- By fits and starts; proceeding irregularly and with interruptions.

Examples:

ES: Traducido por tempestad, a trancas y barrancas.
EN: # Translation from French: lyliakar Special thanks to Alessandra for helping me with Greek #
ES: Si el capitán Nazmi puede ayudarnos a pasar entre las minas... podríamos seguir la costa, y a trancas y barrancas podríamos silenciosamente... aproximarnos al HMS Goliat.
EN: If Captain Nazmi can help us get across through the mines we can follow the shoreline, with fits and starts, we can quietly approach the HMS Goliath.