cry bloody murder

cry bloody murder

To scream or complain as though one is experiencing something very dangerous, serious, or frightening (which is not usually the case). Joey cried bloody murder after his scoop of ice cream fell off the cone. You need to stop crying bloody murder over every little injury—a paper cut is not a big deal! If I don't get a refund by tomorrow, I am going to cry bloody murder.
See also: bloody, cry, murder
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

cry bloody murder

Fig. to scream as if something very serious has happened, especially unnecessarily. Now that Bill is really hurt, he's crying bloody murder. There is no point in crying bloody murder about the bill if you knew the restaurant was expensive.
See also: bloody, cry, murder
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • scoop
  • scoop (something) out of (something else)
  • scoop out of
  • scream bloody murder
  • scream bloody/blue murder, to
  • yell bloody murder
  • scoop out
  • accompanied by
  • accompanied by (someone or something)
  • accompany
References in periodicals archive
Otherwise, why would investors and speculators cry bloody murder whenever capital controls are mentioned as a possibility?
The end of an era in Finance
People would cry bloody murder if instead of going across the Burnside Bridge you had to travel 110 miles south and play somebody in this league.
People would cry bloody murder if instead of going across the Burnside Bridge you had to travel 110 miles south and play somebody in this league." BARRY BOKN WILLAMETTE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR How the rest of the state's leagues would look under the OSAA's plan DISTRICT 1 Grant: 1,807 Wilson: 1,490* Benson: 1,462* Franklin: 1,459* Lincoln: 1,430* Cleveland: 1,283* Madison: 996* Marshall: TBD* Roosevelt: TBD* Jefferson: TBD* DISTRICT 2 Westview: 2,322 Southridge: 1,921 Beaverton: 1,916 Sunset: 1,890 Aloha: 1,796 Jesuit: 1,122* DISTRICT 3 David Douglas: 2,569 Reynolds: 2,411 Gresham: 1,793 Barlow: 1,789 Centennial: 1,762 St.
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