touch off (something)

to cause something violent or destructive to start.

Plans for a new homeless shelter touched off a storm of protest.

Windblown wires touched off the blaze.

There was a dramatic fall in stock prices, and no one is sure what touched it off.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of touch off (= to cause an old-fashioned gun to fire)

• not be a barrel of laughs
• not be a bundle of laughs
• not be a happy camper
• not be all beer and skittles
• not be all fun and games
• not be all it's cracked up to be
• not be all moonlight and roses
• not be all there
• not be a patch
• not be a patch someone
• not be a patch something
• not be a pretty sight
• not be as black as are is painted
• not be as black as it is painted
• not be as black as you are is painted
• not be as black as you it is painted
• not be backward in coming forward
• not be bag
• not be brother's keeper
• not be cup of tea
• not be department
• not be for the faint-hearted
• not be half bad
• not be just a pretty face
• not believe a word of it