maintenance就是“维修、保养”的意思。high maintenance就是维修/保养比较花钱/费事。
很多人都说“买车容易，养车难”。其实就是因为买的是"high maintenance cars".
那么"high maintenance women"当然就不会是省油的灯了.比较难伺候.
Broadly defined, high maintenance women are those who need many things (money, material goods, affection) to be happy. These women love dressing up whenever possible, and are obsessed with all aspects of their personal appearance and grooming in general. This almost obsessive attention to detail usually extends beyond their person, to their homes or apartments, their pets, and yes, even their men. In addition, they tend to be perfectionists, overachievers, self-centered, and a bit vain.
-Askman.com
如果一个孩子比较难缠，可以用"be a handful"这个短语来形容：
be a handful informal someone, especially a child, who
is a handful is difficult to control:
She's a lovely child, but she can be a bit of a
handful sometimes.