Pick a Fight

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. ¹,²

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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. ³

More Idioms Starting with P

• Preaching to the Choir
• Play Cat and Mouse
• Page-Turner
• Play Hardball
• Pain in the Neck, a

More Fight Idioms

• Fight Like Cats and Dogs

More Pick Idioms

• Have a Bone To Pick
• Pick Up
• Pick Holes in Something
• Pick of the Litter
• Pick and Choose

 

References

1. Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms]. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.
2. Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
3. Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.