Like a red rag to a bull
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
Sure to provoke or enrage, sparking a charge.
Origin
From 19th-century Britain, tied to bullfights; red rags waved, slang by 1880s for rage. A 1887 'Pall Mall Gazette' uses it for a row.
Variants
- Red rag bull
- Rag to bull
Usage Examples
- That insult's like a red rag to a bull; watch out!
- It's a red rag to a bull-he'll charge.
- Like a red rag to a bull; she snapped.
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