tempers frayed

tempers frayed

Things became tense among people; people lost their tempers. Tempers frayed at Thanksgiving when Uncle Stu and Aunt Marsha started arguing about politics.
See also: fray, temper
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • couple
  • couple of
  • a couple of (people or things)
  • a creaking door hangs longest
  • creak
  • creaking door hangs longest
  • big and bold
  • gate
  • a creaking gate hangs longest
  • force of numbers
References in periodicals archive
They had got away with one, tempers frayed and we ended up with a yellow card, they had a penalty and that changed the match.
Dan the man bags two but Stour slip up; rugby
Officers deployed batons when tempers frayed but there were "no reports of injuries and no arrests".
Guns & knives seized at church
Tempers frayed when the footballers found themselves on the end of some verbal abuse from locals.
Football players fined for beating
But with tempers frayed and Republicans and Democrats deeply divided over immigration legislation that has found its way into the government funding fight, the bill appeared to be on the verge of collapse in the Senate.
Clock running out to avert government shutdown as Trump blames Democrats
Ross Douglass, who had a hand in two of the three goals, scored the fourth but picked up a 10-minute misconduct in the 45th minute as tempers frayed.
Braves get points on the board thanks to a handsome home win; JUNIOR ICE HOCKEY
Summary: The Lebanese Basketball League final series between Riyadi and Sagesse was suspended Friday after tempers frayed in Ghazir midway through the third quarter while Riyadi were leading by 10 points.
Riyadi-Sagesse finals suspended over fracas
RUSH (Film4, Wednesday, 9pm) DURING the 1970s, rubber burned and tempers frayed between two very different Formula 1 drivers: charismatic ladies' man James Hunt and ambitious Austrian speed fiend Niki Lauda.
tv films
DURING the 1970s, rubber burnt and tempers frayed between two very different Formula 1 drivers: charismatic ladies' man James Hunt and incredibly ambitious Austrian speed fiend Niki Lauda.
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Morton rallied and tempers frayed as they tried desperately for the equaliser.
MATCH OF THE OLD DAY; CAMPBELL THOMSON'S CACAC MPBELL HOMSON'S
But tempers frayed when England's Raheem Sterling, who had replaced Wayne Rooney just past the hour, flew into a tackle with Antonio Valencia.
Two sent off as England held by battling Ecuador
Officers were despatched to the Lifford Lane tip in Kings Norton recently as tempers frayed because of huge demand to dump green waste, councillors were told.
'Garden tax' leaves huge jams
As tempers frayed on packed buses and the capital's streets swarmed with commuters walking, running and cycling to work through gale-force winds, Mayor Boris Johnson and powerful union leader Bob Crow traded recriminations over the latest walkout.
Travel chaos hits London as rail workers launch strike action
Even so, there were reports of jostling as tempers frayed.
London hit by travel chaos as Tube staff goes on strike
Tempers frayed after the Prime Minister faced a Tory rebellion in an Immigration Bill vote last week - amid mounting speculation May is emerging as a frontrunner to oust Cameron as Tory leader.
PM and May 'like ferrets in a sack'
London forward Matt Cook has admitted punching in the same incident as tempers frayed late in the first half of the contest at The Stoop and he escapes a ban, but like the Giants duo will not be eligible to make another early-guilty plea for 12 months.
Giants duo free for key clash