Also:
Pick fights
Pick a quarrel
Pick an argument
Meaning of Idiom ‘Pick a Fight (with somebody)’
To pick a fight is to intentionally start an argument or quarrel with someone; to look for oppurtunities to quarrel or argue. 1Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms]. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.,2Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
Examples Of Use
“I don’t know why you want to pick a fight with me. I haven’t done anything to provoke you.”
“Be careful who you pick fights with in this company.”
“Wellington picked a fight with the wrong senator. For a seasoned politician, he can be brash!”
“I used to go around picking fights all the time. Fortunately, I’ve gotten my anger issues under control.”
Origin
Used since the mid-1400s, to pick a fight, in this idiom, means to ‘select’ one. 3Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
More Idioms Starting with P
- Play Russian Roulette
- Pluck Up Courage
- Play It By Ear
- Put Up Or Shut Up
- Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
More Fight Idioms
More Pick Idioms
Sources
| 1. | ↲ | Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms]. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010. |
| 2, 3. | ↲ | Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. |