them's fighting words

them's fighting words

cliché What was said warrants a fight or confrontation. "Fighting" is often rendered as "fightin'" for colloquial or ironic effect. A: "Your dad was a sissy!" B: "Them's fightin' words, pal—I'm gonna knock your block off!" But to suggest that our nation should bend to the will of another, well, them's fighting words around these parts.
See also: fight, word
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

Them's fighting words!

Rur. What you just said will lead to a fight. (Said as a threat.) I heard what you said about my brother, and them's fighting words. Put up your dukes. Them's fighting words!
See also: fight
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!
  • trouble in paradise
  • be careful what you wish for(, it might (just) come true)
  • customer is always right
  • customer is always right, the
  • the customer is always right
  • do not try this at home
  • a sight to behold
  • (it's) (all) Greek to me
  • Greek to me
References in periodicals archive
And while them's fighting words for some fast-food aficionados, In-N-Out no doubt has the cred.
In-n-out burger: fans swear the West coast chain makes the best burgers in America--and they might be right
Them's fighting words, but Axl doesn't seem that bothered.
COLUMN; This week DEE WOODS is thinking about musical differences..
Them's fighting words! The owner of an upcoming boutique Gowanus hotel has opened up to the Brooklyn Paper about his new product, and took the opportunity to make a few public jabs at his soon-to-be rivals.
New Gowanus hotel revs up for rivalry
Them's fighting words (at least in Elizabethan England), but she was greeted with nothing but a round of laughter and cheers.
INSULTS MEANT TO MAKE AN ELIZABETHAN'S BLOOD BOIL
To speak colloquially, them's fighting words," not dialoguing words.
Can we all please watch our language?
Them's fighting words. And that's what makes Disney vs.
Mouse hitches its trailers to Web spat