Arguments can happen between friends, classmates, or even family members. Sometimes, people don’t agree, and they speak loudly or with strong feelings. Over time, people have created special sayings, called idioms, to talk about these moments. These idioms help us understand the feeling of an argument without using long explanations.
In this article, you’ll read 30 idioms about arguments. Each one shows a different part of what it feels like to disagree with someone. Some idioms are funny, some sound serious, and others help us understand the problem better. You will also find meanings and easy examples for each idiom. Let’s explore these idioms so you can use them in your daily life.
Idioms About Arguments
1. At each other’s throats
Meaning: Always arguing or fighting
Example Sentence:
• My brothers were at each other’s throats over the video game.
• The classmates were at each other’s throats during group work.
Other ways to say: Fighting a lot, always arguing
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from animals fighting by grabbing each other’s necks.
Usage: Used when people can’t stop arguing.
2. Bite someone’s head off
Meaning: Get mad at someone suddenly
Example Sentence:
• Mom bit my head off when I forgot to do my homework.
• He bit her head off just for asking a simple question.
Other ways to say: Yell at, snap at
Fun Fact/Origin: It’s not about really biting—it means reacting angrily fast.
Usage: Used when someone overreacts.
3. Fight like cats and dogs
Meaning: Argue or fight all the time
Example Sentence:
• My cousins fight like cats and dogs when they play games.
• They fought like cats and dogs over who got the last cookie.
Other ways to say: Argue constantly, never agree
Fun Fact/Origin: Based on the idea that cats and dogs don’t get along.
Usage: Used when people argue a lot.
4. Give someone a piece of your mind
Meaning: Tell someone angrily what you think
Example Sentence:
• He gave his friend a piece of his mind after the prank.
• She gave her brother a piece of her mind for breaking her toy.
Other ways to say: Tell off, scold
Fun Fact/Origin: It’s like sharing your angry thoughts loudly.
Usage: Used when someone speaks firmly out of anger.
5. Have a bone to pick
Meaning: Want to talk about a problem you have with someone
Example Sentence:
• I have a bone to pick with you about the group project.
• She had a bone to pick with her friend for not calling back.
Other ways to say: Have an issue, want to talk about a problem
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from dogs picking bones for a long time.
Usage: Used when someone wants to complain or bring up a problem.
6. Storm out
Meaning: Leave angrily
Example Sentence:
• He stormed out of the room after the fight.
• She stormed out of class when she got mad.
Other ways to say: Leave in anger, walk away mad
Fun Fact/Origin: Like a storm, the person moves quickly and strongly.
Usage: Used when someone leaves because of anger.
7. Rub someone the wrong way
Meaning: Bother someone or make them upset
Example Sentence:
• His loud voice rubbed me the wrong way.
• She rubbed her classmate the wrong way by teasing him.
Other ways to say: Annoy, upset
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from petting animals in the wrong direction.
Usage: Used when someone makes another person feel irritated.
8. Fly off the handle
Meaning: Lose your temper quickly
Example Sentence:
• Dad flew off the handle when he saw the mess.
• She flew off the handle when her brother broke her phone.
Other ways to say: Get very angry, lose it
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from axes when the head flies off the stick.
Usage: Used when someone gets angry suddenly.
9. Let off steam
Meaning: Release anger or frustration
Example Sentence:
• He went for a run to let off steam.
• I needed to let off steam after the argument.
Other ways to say: Cool down, blow off anger
Fun Fact/Origin: From steam engines releasing pressure.
Usage: Used when people do something to calm down.
10. Hot under the collar
Meaning: Feeling angry or upset
Example Sentence:
• She got hot under the collar when he made fun of her.
• He gets hot under the collar when he loses at games.
Other ways to say: Mad, upset
Fun Fact/Origin: The neck gets hot when you’re angry.
Usage: Used when someone feels very annoyed.
11. Pick a fight
Meaning: Start an argument on purpose
Example Sentence:
• He picked a fight just because he was bored.
• She picked a fight with her sister over nothing.
Other ways to say: Start trouble, begin an argument
Fun Fact/Origin: The word “pick” means choosing to start something.
Usage: Used when someone causes an argument for no good reason.
12. Hold a grudge
Meaning: Stay mad at someone for a long time
Example Sentence:
• She held a grudge after he broke her toy.
• He still holds a grudge about that old prank.
Other ways to say: Stay upset, not forgive
Fun Fact/Origin: A grudge is a feeling that sticks around.
Usage: Used when someone doesn’t let go of past anger.
13. Blow up
Meaning: Get very angry all of a sudden
Example Sentence:
• He blew up when he saw his broken bike.
• She blew up at her friend for spilling juice.
Other ways to say: Explode with anger, burst out
Fun Fact/Origin: Like an explosion, it happens fast and loud.
Usage: Used when someone suddenly loses their temper.
14. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: Make a bad situation worse
Example Sentence:
• Yelling back just added fuel to the fire.
• He added fuel to the fire by laughing during the argument.
Other ways to say: Make things worse, stir the pot
Fun Fact/Origin: Fire gets bigger with more fuel—like arguments.
Usage: Used when someone makes an argument even bigger.
15. Split hairs
Meaning: Argue about small, silly details
Example Sentence:
• They kept splitting hairs about who was first.
• Stop splitting hairs and enjoy the game!
Other ways to say: Be picky, argue over nothing
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from trying to divide a tiny hair—very hard!
Usage: Used when people argue about unimportant stuff.
16. Clear the air
Meaning: Talk to fix a problem after an argument
Example Sentence:
• We cleared the air after our fight.
• She called me to clear the air about what happened.
Other ways to say: Make peace, fix the misunderstanding
Fun Fact/Origin: Like cleaning smoke from the air so you can see.
Usage: Used when people want to stop being mad at each other.
17. Hit a nerve
Meaning: Say something that upsets someone
Example Sentence:
• When she joked about his shoes, it hit a nerve.
• That comment really hit a nerve with him.
Other ways to say: Hurt feelings, upset someone
Fun Fact/Origin: Like touching a sore spot—it hurts.
Usage: Used when someone says something too personal.
18. Lock horns
Meaning: Strongly disagree or argue
Example Sentence:
• They locked horns during the debate.
• The brothers often lock horns over chores.
Other ways to say: Argue hard, clash
Fun Fact/Origin: From animals like deer whose horns get stuck when fighting.
Usage: Used when two people are having a strong disagreement.
19. Have words
Meaning: Talk in an angry way
Example Sentence:
• The two teachers had words after the meeting.
• We had words about the missing lunch money.
Other ways to say: Argue, exchange harsh words
Fun Fact/Origin: “Words” here means angry words, not friendly ones.
Usage: Used when people speak to each other with anger.
20. Let it slide
Meaning: Decide not to argue or get upset
Example Sentence:
• I let it slide when he bumped into me.
• She let it slide when her friend forgot to call.
Other ways to say: Ignore, don’t make a big deal
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of letting something pass by.
Usage: Used when someone chooses peace over fighting.
21. Push someone’s buttons
Meaning: Do something on purpose to make someone mad
Example Sentence:
• He pushed her buttons by teasing her dog.
• She always pushes my buttons during math class.
Other ways to say: Annoy someone, make someone mad
Fun Fact/Origin: Like pressing a machine’s button, you cause a reaction.
Usage: Used when someone knows how to make another person angry.
22. Have a falling out
Meaning: Stop being friends after an argument
Example Sentence:
• We had a falling out over a lost book.
• They had a falling out and haven’t talked since.
Other ways to say: Stop talking, break a friendship
Fun Fact/Origin: “Falling out” means the friendship fell apart.
Usage: Used when a friendship ends because of a disagreement.
23. Go at it
Meaning: Fight or argue with a lot of energy
Example Sentence:
• The kids were really going at it over the game.
• They went at it during the class debate.
Other ways to say: Argue loudly, fight hard
Fun Fact/Origin: Means they are putting all their energy into the fight.
Usage: Used when people argue in a big way.
24. Kick up a fuss
Meaning: Complain or argue loudly
Example Sentence:
• He kicked up a fuss when he didn’t get the toy.
• She kicked up a fuss at dinner over the food.
Other ways to say: Make a scene, cause trouble
Fun Fact/Origin: Like dust getting kicked up—it causes a mess.
Usage: Used when someone makes a big deal out of something.
25. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Don’t bring up old problems
Example Sentence:
• Just let sleeping dogs lie—we’ve already solved it.
• He wanted to talk about the old fight, but I said let sleeping dogs lie.
Other ways to say: Leave it alone, don’t bring it up
Fun Fact/Origin: Waking a sleeping dog might cause trouble.
Usage: Used when it’s better not to restart an old argument.
26. Ruffle feathers
Meaning: Upset someone or cause tension
Example Sentence:
• His joke ruffled a few feathers at the party.
• She ruffled feathers by changing the group’s plan.
Other ways to say: Upset people, cause trouble
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from birds getting upset when their feathers are touched.
Usage: Used when someone says or does something that causes upset.
27. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Be upset about something that already happened and can’t be changed
Example Sentence:
• It’s okay—don’t cry over spilled milk.
• He cried over spilled milk when he lost the game.
Other ways to say: Move on, don’t worry
Fun Fact/Origin: Milk can’t be un-spilled, so why be upset?
Usage: Used when someone is sad about something in the past.
28. Go off on someone
Meaning: Suddenly yell or get very angry at someone
Example Sentence:
• She went off on him for breaking her pen.
• He went off on his brother after the prank.
Other ways to say: Yell, lash out
Fun Fact/Origin: “Go off” means bursting with emotion.
Usage: Used when someone gets really mad and shows it.
29. Drag someone into it
Meaning: Involve someone in an argument they weren’t part of
Example Sentence:
• Don’t drag me into it—I wasn’t even there!
• She dragged her friend into the fight.
Other ways to say: Involve, pull someone in
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of pulling someone into a mess.
Usage: Used when someone pulls others into their argument.
30. Hit the roof
Meaning: Get extremely angry
Example Sentence:
• Dad hit the roof when he saw the mess.
• She hit the roof after finding out the truth.
Other ways to say: Get very mad, explode with anger
Fun Fact/Origin: Like a rocket, the anger shoots up!
Usage: Used when someone is super mad about something.
Quiz: Idioms About Arguments
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does “fly off the handle” mean?
A) To dance in a fun way
B) To get angry very suddenly
C) To leave quickly
2. If someone says, “They are at each other’s throats,” what does it mean?
A) They are helping each other
B) They are being quiet
C) They are always fighting
3. What does it mean to “hold a grudge”?
A) To always forget things
B) To stay mad for a long time
C) To laugh a lot
4. If someone “lets off steam,” what are they doing?
A) They are cooling down after being angry
B) They are sleeping
C) They are running away
5. What does “give someone a piece of your mind” mean?
A) To tell a funny story
B) To say something very kind
C) To tell someone off because you’re upset
6. What happens when people “lock horns”?
A) They work together
B) They strongly argue
C) They dance in a circle
7. If someone “adds fuel to the fire,” what are they doing?
A) Making a problem worse
B) Making cookies
C) Making peace
8. What does it mean to “let sleeping dogs lie”?
A) To wake up your pet
B) To leave old problems alone
C) To clean up the house
9. If someone “pushes your buttons,” how does it feel?
A) Happy and calm
B) Sleepy
C) Annoyed and angry
10. What does “kick up a fuss” mean?
A) To stay quiet
B) To complain loudly
C) To clean your shoes
Answer Key
- B) To get angry very suddenly
- C) They are always fighting
- B) To stay mad for a long time
- A) They are cooling down after being angry
- C) To tell someone off because you’re upset
- B) They strongly argue
- A) Making a problem worse
- B) To leave old problems alone
- C) Annoyed and angry
- B) To complain loudly
Wrapping Up
Arguments happen, but learning these idioms helps us understand and talk about them better. These expressions show how people feel when they’re upset, angry, or trying to fix things. Idioms can make language more interesting and help you share your thoughts clearly.
Try using some of these phrases next time you hear or see a disagreement. They can help you describe the situation in a simple and fun way.
