spat

Related to spat: splat

spit (out) the dummy

To have a childish overreaction or angry outburst to a negative situation or outcome; to act in a bad-tempered manner, likened to a temper tantrum of a child. "Dummy" here refers to a plastic teat used to soothe teething infants (also called a "pacifier" in the U.S. or a "soother" elsewhere), which they may spit when in the middle of a tantrum. Primarily heard in Australia. John spat the dummy when I told him I'd sold his old comic book collection. Don't go spitting out the dummy just because Cheryl got the promotion instead of you.
See also: dummy, spit

spit at (someone or something)

1. Literally, to propel saliva from one's mouth in the direction of someone or something. Someone in the crowd spat at the policeman as he tried to calm them down. We sat on the overpass, spitting at the cars driving underneath.
2. To treat someone or something with scorn, contempt, or disregard. I trusted you with my secrets, then you spit at me by going up on the witness stand to testify against me! I always feel like I need to go out and give 100% of my effort and energy whenever I perform on stage. Anything less, and it feels like I'm spitting at all the devoted fans who came to see me.
See also: spit

spit chips

slang To be loudly or vehemently angry. Primarily heard in Australia. Everyone's spitting chips over the recent tax law now, but in a month's time, no one will even remember that it happened.
See also: chip, spit

spit in (one's) eye

To spitefully and deliberately insult or show contempt for someone. Many felt that the judge spat in the victim's eye by giving the perpetrator such a short prison sentence. Desperate to break free of their domineering influence, Samantha spat in her parents' eye by running away to live in a commune.
See also: eye, spit

spit in (something)

1. To expel saliva or phlegm from one's mouth into something. This medication makes my mouth water uncontrollably, so I have to keep spitting in a cup. The man spat in my eye as I walked past.
2. To eject or expel an object from one's mouth into something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "spit" and "in." If you're going to spit your gum in one of the coffee cups, please don't just leave it there for someone else to clean up! He kept chewing sunflower seeds and spitting their shells in a plastic cup during the lecture.
See also: spit

spit in the eye of (someone)

To spitefully and deliberately insult or show contempt for someone. Many felt that the judge's extremely light prison sentence for the perpetrator spat in the eye of the victim. Desperate to break free of their domineering influence, Samantha spat in the eye of her parents by running away to live in a commune.
See also: eye, of, spit

spit in(to) the wind

To do something totally pointless, fruitless, or futile; to waste one's time doing something that will not or cannot come to pass. To be perfectly honest, I feel like voting is just spitting in the wind, so I don't even bother. My mom and dad spent years spitting in the wind trying to get my brother to take his studies seriously; in the end, he dropped out anyway to pursue a career in music.
See also: spit, wind

spit into (something)

1. To expel saliva or phlegm from one's mouth into something. This medication makes my mouth water uncontrollably, so I have to keep spitting into a cup. The man spat into my eye as I walked past.
2. To eject or expel an object from one's mouth into something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "spit" and "into." If you're going to spit your gum into one of the coffee cups, please don't just leave it there for someone else to clean up! He kept chewing sunflower seeds and spitting their shells into a plastic cup during the lecture.
See also: spit

spit it out

Stop stalling or stammering and just say what you want or intend to say. Just spit it out already—do you want to go to the dance with me or not? I wish I didn't get such a bad stutter when I'm nervous; I'd feel more confident if I could just spit it out.
See also: out, spit

spit on (someone or something)

1. To expel saliva or phlegm from one's mouth onto someone or something. I really wish you wouldn't spit on the ground like that—it's really gross! The man spat on me as I walked past.
2. To eject or expel an object from one's mouth onto someone or something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "spit" and "on." Someone spat their gum on the ground, and it got stuck to the bottom of my sneaker! Make sure you don't talk with your mouth full—you don't want to spit food on your date!
See also: on, spit

spit onto (someone or something)

1. To expel saliva or phlegm from one's mouth onto someone or something. I really wish you wouldn't spit onto the ground like that—it's really gross! Two troublesome youths sat on the overpass, spitting onto the people walking below.
2. To eject or expel an object from one's mouth onto someone or something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "spit" and "onto." Someone spat their gum onto the sidewalk, and it got stuck to the bottom of my sneaker! Make sure you don't talk with your mouth full—you don't want to spit food onto your date!
See also: spit

spit out

1. Literally, to forcefully expel something from one's mouth. A noun or pronoun can be used between "spit" and "out." Spit that out! Don't you know wild mushrooms can be poisonous? Our toddler keeps spitting out his vegetables.
2. To succeed in saying something, especially with difficulty. Often used in the imperative phrase "spit it out." I tried spitting an answer out, but my nervousness made me stutter too badly. Just spit it out already—do you want to go to the dance with me or not?
3. To say something in a very aggressive, forceful, or vitriolic manner. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "spit" and "out." The group of protestors continued to spit obscenities out at us as we made our way to the car. By the end of the debate, my opponent was reduced to spitting out absurd, unprovable accusations.
See also: out, spit

spit up

1. To vomit. Said especially of infants, in whom regurgitation of milk is a common and natural reflex. Here, you'll want this cloth on your should in case Mary spits up on you. Our baby has been spitting up so much recently that we're beginning to get worried.
2. To expel something out of one's mouth by vomiting or coughing. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "spit" and "up." I slapped him on the back and he spat up the chicken bone. The cat always makes the same horrible noise whenever it's about to spit its dinner back up.
See also: spit, up
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

spit something out

 
1. Lit. to cast something from the mouth. The food was so terrible that I spit it out. I spit out the sweet potatoes.
2. Fig. to manage to say something. Come on! Say it! spit it out! spit it out! Get it said!
3. Fig. to say something scornfully. He spit out his words in utter derision. she spit out the most unpleasant string of curse words I have ever heard from anyone.
See also: out, spit

spit something up

Euph. to vomit something. she almost spit her dinner up. Sally was afraid she was going to spit up her dinner.
See also: spit, up

spit up

Euph. to vomit. The food was so bad, she was afraid she would spit up. Mommy, I have to spit up!
See also: spit, up
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

spit up

Vomit, as in Infants often spit up part of their milk.
See also: spit, up
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

spit chips

be very angry. Australian informal
See also: chip, spit

spit it out

used to urge someone to say, confess, or divulge something quickly. informal
See also: out, spit
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

spit out

v.
To expel something from the mouth; expectorate something: The teacher told the child to spit out the gum. The fish wasn't cooked enough, and I spit it out.
See also: out, spit

spit up

v.
1. To spit something out of the mouth: The boxer is spitting up blood.
2. To vomit something. Used chiefly of an infant: The child is still hungry because he spit his meal up. The baby spit up on her bib.
See also: spit, up
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • spit (out) the dummy
  • spit the dummy
  • dummy spit
  • throw a (temper) tantrum
  • throw a tantrum
  • tantrum
  • temper tantrum
  • (as) accommodating as a hog on ice
  • accommodating
  • as accommodating as a hog on ice
References in periodicals archive
In contrast to growth, survival rate was not significantly dependent on either spat density or tray partitioning (P = 0.141 and 0.522, respectively; Table 2).
Effects of rearing conditions on growth and survival in juvenile blacklip pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera (L.) in subtropical Japan
This experiment lasted from May 8 to August 1 and was designed to study the possible effect of predators, which could settle inside the quarters, on the survival of the spat. The initial spat size was 3.0 [+ or -] 0.6 (SD) mm shell-height and the amount of spat added to each quarter was the volume of a spoonful, giving a stocking density of 127 [+ or -] 15 per quarter (n = 10).
Suspension culture of the great scallop Pecten maximus in Galicia, NW Spain--intermediate primary culture of hatchery produced spat
Materials chosen to make spat collectors, as well as their color and design, were based on materials used successfully to collect wild spat of P.
Factors influencing recruitment of hatchery reared pearl oyster (Pinctada Mazatlanica; Hanley 1856) spat
Salinity is an important environmental factor in the hatchery, and it affects the growth of bivalve spat. Several studies have evaluated the effect of salinity on the growth performance of pearl oyster spat (e.g., Numaguchi & Tanaka 1986, Taylor et al.
Growth and survival of pearl oyster Pinctada maxima spat reared under different environmental conditions
Sydenham initially claimed to suffer from a speech disorder that meant he inadvertently spat, but police dismissed the excuse and charged him with common assault.
DNA 'spit kit' captures fare-dodging bus yob
Mrs Brough - who said the incident left her feeling dreadful - said her daughter spat in her face three times during the confrontation.
Former solicitor guilty of spitting assault; Parents targeted in will row
"If it has been shown, that is unacceptable behaviour and anyone here who was spat at would act accordingly.
Wolves angered by spitting incident; FIOOTBALL
KEY WORDS: Crassostrea virginica, Eurvpanopeus depressus, Rhithropanopeus harrisii, spat mortality, predator prey dynamics, oyster restoration
Predation of juvenile Crassostrea virginica by two species of mud crabs found in the Chesapeake Bay
Little more than a year later, and Diouf spat at Portsmouth player Arjan de Zeeuw - he was again fined two weeks' wages and this time given a three-game ban by the FA.
From the football field to the fairway spitting is spreading; Tiger Woods' latest misdemeanour - spitting on a green while playing at a tournament in Dubai - has led him to be described as 'arrogant and petulant' by one commentator. But, with Woods' actions the norm in other sports, reporter Aled Blake asks if spitting is becoming acceptable behaviour
City took around 1,000 supporters with them to west London and Langley, who never won over the Ninian Park followers in his time in South Wales, claimed a section of them spat at him as he was collecting the ball from the sidelines.
'CITY FANS SPAT AT ME'
CRACKING DOWN: Cllr Mark Dowd, assistant chief constable Bernard Lawson and operations director Tom Balshaw get behind the scheme to stop bus drivers being spat on
Drivers issued with DNA swab kits
Middlesbrough schoolboy James Shields, of Colliers Green, complained that the Senegalese international spat at him during the 1-1 draw.
'Spit' star in court
Police are still investigating an incident at Middlesbrough earlier this month when fans claimed Diouf spat at them.
Football: How long do we put up with this FILTH? Diouf spits again
A UEFA spokesman said: "It appears that the Swiss player might have spat against the neck of his English opponent."
Football: Euro 2004: Frei probe in spit spat
Spit hoods are mesh fabric hoods which can be placed over the heads of suspects to protect arresting officers from being bitten or spat upon.
Spit hoods could come to region