take the brunt of something

[Mr Bones]

Hello, I've just learnt this expression, wich I found in a forum on the Internet:

My poor hubby is taking the brunt of it at home!

I couldn't figure out what'd happened with this hubby -sorry, no more context; maybe something about doing the housework-, but I'd like to know more about the idiom. Is it current English? Can we use it in a formal situation? Could you provide me with some more examples? Do you think it's worth learning it for a student?

Thanks in advance
Mr Bones
Please, correct my mistakes

 

[Chaska Ñawi]

To take the brunt of something means that this person (here, hubby) is the most affected by it, or receives the main force of it. You can also be the brunt (target) of a joke.

Whenever the company decides to cut costs, the employees bear the brunt of the decision.

He was the brunt of many of their practical jokes.

She bears the brunt of her son's gambling addiction.

 

[Mr Bones]

Thank you, Chaska. Very clear explanation. Bones.

 

[panjandrum]

Whoever takes the brunt of it is taking the greatest force of it:
The attack came from all sides, but the northern flank had to take the brunt of it.

Generally, although someone is taking the brunt of it, someone else is taking the rest of it - whatever "it" is.

With that sense in mind:
My poor hubby is taking the brunt of it at home!
... has two possible meanings.

Either hubby is having to take more than his share of "it" at the moment (someone isn't pulling their normal share),
... or hubby is having to take more than seems reasonable of "it" at home, rather than (say) at work.

I've not come across brunt as the one who suffers from the jokers

 

[maxiogee]

We in Ireland don't take the brunt of anything, we bear it.