badger
Related to badger: American badger
badger game
An extortion scheme in which the victim, typically a married male, is lured into a compromising situation by (usually) a woman, who, with the aid of a male accomplice in the role of a husband or partner, blackmails the victim for money under the threat of exposure or physical violence. Most likely refers to the blood sport "badger baiting," in which a badger is used as live bait to lure a dog into a pit fight. He was nearly bankrupted after he fell victim to a badger game.
See also: badger, game
badger into
To pester or nag someone into doing something. A person's name or a pronoun can be used between "badger" and "into." Now that I have my driver's license, my little sister is constantly trying to badger me into taking her places. Did you get badgered into coming to this boring lecture today?
See also: badger
badger to death
To pester or nag someone relentlessly. A person's name or a pronoun can be used between "badger" and "to." If you don't answer him, he'll just keep badgering you to death. I've been badgered to death by students all day—I need a break.
See also: badger, death
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
badger someone into something
Fig. to pester someone into doing something. Don't try to badger us into doing it. My brother and I were badgered into cleaning out the garage.
See also: badger
badger someone or something to death
Fig. to bother and annoy someone or some group. If you don't tell him what he wants to know, he will badger you to death until he finds out.
See also: badger, death
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
badger game
An extortion scheme in which a man is lured into a compromising position, usually by a woman, and then is "discovered" and blackmailed by her associate. For example, The prosecutor accused the couple of playing the badger game. The term alludes to the much older sport of badger-baiting, in which a live badger was trapped and put inside a box and dogs were set on it to drag it out. The woman in the scheme is the "badger." [Late 1800s]
See also: badger, game
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
- badger game
- my dawg
- my dog
- my dogg
- cock in the henhouse
- henhouse
- main man
- bro
- bros before hoes
- cherry-boy