kick up a fuss

Idioms & Phrases

kick up a fuss

Also, kick up a row or storm. Create a disturbance; start a fight. For example, The soup was cold, and Aunt Mary began to kick up a fuss, calling for the manager, or There's no need to kick up a row; the boys will leave quietly, or If they fire him, Carl is ready to kick up a storm. These expressions all employ kick up in the sense of "raise dust or dirt," a usage dating from the mid-1700s.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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