spoiling for a fight
spoil for (something)
To be particularly eager or enthusiastic for something, especially a fight, disagreement, or conflict. Tom seems to spoil for a fight the moment he's in the same room as me. I just don't know what it is about me that makes him so antagonistic. We've done everything we can to reach a reasonable compromise with the other party, but they have been spoiling for an argument at every turn.
See also: spoil
spoiling for a fight
Especially argumentative or combative; eager to engage in an argument or a fight. My mother is just spoiling for a fight when she makes comments like those—don't let her get to you. After a week with very little sleep and a lot on my mind, I was spoiling for a fight by the time I got home.
See also: fight, spoil
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
spoiling for a fight
argumentative; asking for a fight. They were just spoiling for a fight, and they went outside to settle the matter. She was grouchy, and you could tell she had been spoiling for a fight all day.
See also: fight, spoil
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
spoiling for a fight
in. argumentative; asking for a fight. They were just spoiling for a fight, and they went outside to settle the matter.
See also: fight, spoil
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
- spoil for
- spoil for (something)
- could fight a circle-saw
- could fight a circle-saw (and it a runnin')
- fight
- fight (one's way) through
- fight through
- fight for
- fight for (someone or something)
- it takes two to make a quarrel