Opinion - Quarrel

Discover how English idioms like "at each other's throats" and "fight like cats and dogs" relate to quarrels in English.

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to give somebody a piece of one's mind

[phrase]

to let someone know that their bad behavior made one annoyed or angry

Ex: After waiting for hours, Jane finally gave the rude customer a piece of her mind about the importance of patience.

to get out of one's face

[phrase]

to no longer bother someone and leave them alone

Ex: Irritated by constant questioning, Sarah finally snapped and told her colleague to get out of her face.

to fight like cats and dogs

[phrase]

to continuously fight or argue over someone or something

Ex: Despite being siblings, Mary and Jack fight like cats and dogs over trivial matters.

to [come] down on {sb} like a ton of bricks

to come down on somebody like a ton of bricks

[phrase]

to punish someone in a manner more violent or severe than they deserve

Ex: When the employee was caught stealing office supplies, the manager came down on him like a ton of bricks, leading to immediate termination.

bone of contention

[phrase]

a subject over which people disagree

Ex: The allocation of funds became the bone of contention during the budget meeting, leading to heated debates among department heads.

to bite one's head off

[phrase]

to angrily reply or react to someone

Ex: Exhausted from a long day at work, Mary snapped her colleague's head off when he asked a simple question.

at loggerheads

[phrase]

in serious disagreement with someone

Ex: The negotiation between the union and management was at loggerheads over issues of worker compensation.

at each other's throats

[phrase]

used when two or more people, groups, or organizations fight or disagree with one another

Ex: The siblings were constantly at each other's throats, arguing over trivial matters.

at daggers drawn

[phrase]

(of two people, groups, countries, etc.) in a state of conflict or hostility toward each other

Ex: After the heated argument, the colleagues were at daggers drawn, refusing to speak to each other.

to chew somebody up and spit somebody out

[phrase]

to completely defeat someone, leaving them feeling overwhelmed or powerless

Ex: In the highly competitive industry, new businesses often get chewed up and spit out if they can't adapt quickly.

to bring the hammer down

[phrase]

to criticize or punish someone very harshly

Ex: Faced with repeated policy violations, the manager warned the employee that he would bring the hammer down if the behavior continued.

to trade punches

[phrase]

to engage in a verbal conflict by exchanging criticisms, insults, etc.

Ex: During the heated debate, the politicians traded punches over economic policies.

to talk trash

[phrase]

to say offensive, criticizing, or rude things to someone, particularly one's opponent, to make them less confident

Ex: Of course those boxers started talking trash—it's a normal part of the pre-match press conference.

enough is enough

[sentence]

used to indicate that a situation has reached a point where it is no longer tolerable or acceptable, and it is time for it to stop or change

Ex: The people have finally said "enough is enough" to the dictator's rule.

on a collision course

[phrase]

in a situation that is likely to cause a disagreement or fight

Ex: The two companies are on a collision course for a price war, with each one trying to undercut the other.

to [put|set|throw] the cat among the pigeons

to put the cat among the pigeons

[phrase]

to cause trouble or upset by saying or doing something that brings conflict into a peaceful situation

Ex: The politician's controversial remarks put the cat among the pigeons in his party.

in the dog house

[phrase]

in a situation in which someone is very upset or angry with one for having or not having done something

Ex: I'm in the dog house with my wife because I forgot our anniversary.

to [take|bring] {sb} down a notch (or two|)

to take somebody down a notch (or two)

[phrase]

to put down or humiliate a person who is too proud or self-righteous

Ex: Bill doesn't allow anything to get past him, and we are really looking forward to someone eventually and finally taking him down a notch or two.

Opinion
Agreement or Approval	Disagreement or Disapproval	Criticism	Rebuke
Expressing Opinions	Discussion	Point of View	Making a Point
Thoughts & Assumptions	Argument	Quarrel

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