blood

bay for blood: seebay.

blood and guts violence and bloodshed, especially in fiction. informal

blood and iron military force rather than diplomacy.

☞ Blood and iron is a translation of German Blut und Eisen, a phrase particularly associated with a speech made by the German statesman Bismarck (1815–98) in the Prussian House of Deputies in 1886.

blood and thunder unrestrained and violent action or behaviour, especially in sport or fiction. informal

☞ Blood and thunder is often used to describe sensational literature, and in the late 19th century gave rise to penny bloods as a term for cheap sensational novels.

blood is thicker than water family loyalties are stronger than other relationships.

blood on the carpet used to refer in an exaggerated way to a serious disagreement or its aftermath.

1984Times The last thing I want now is blood on the boardroom carpet.

blood, sweat, and tears extremely hard work; unstinting effort.

☞ In May 1940 Winston Churchill made a speech in the House of Commons in which he declared: 'I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.'

blood will tell family characteristics cannot be concealed. proverb

first blood the first point or advantage gained in a contest.

☞ First blood is literally 'the first shedding of blood', especially in a boxing match or formerly in duelling with swords.

flesh and blood: seeflesh.

freeze your blood: seefreeze.

have blood on your hands be responsible for the death of someone.

in cold blood: seecold.

in your blood ingrained in or fundamental to your character.

like getting blood out of (or from) a stone extremely difficult and frustrating.

☞ A North American variant of this expression is like getting blood out of a turnip.

make your blood boil infuriate you.

make your blood curdle fill you with horror.

make your blood run cold horrify you.

☞ The previous three phrases all come from the medieval physiological scheme of the four humours in the human body (melancholy, phlegm, blood, and choler). Under this scheme blood was the hot, moist element, so the effect of horror or fear in making the blood run cold or curdling (solidifying) it was to make it unable to fulfil its proper function of supplying the body with vital heat or energy. The blood boiling was a supposedly dangerous overreaction to strong emotion.

new (or young) blood new (or younger) members of a group, especially those admitted as an invigorating force.

a rush of blood: seerush.

smell blood: seesmell.

someone's blood is up someone is in a fighting mood.

spit blood: seespit.

stir the blood: seestir.

sweat blood: seesweat.

taste blood achieve an early success that stimulates further efforts.

there is bad blood between - there is long-standing hostility between the parties mentioned.

2001Hugh CollinsNo Smoke There are occasional square-gos sometimes, but there's no bad blood between rival gangs.

your (own) flesh and blood: seeflesh.