make the feathers fly
English edit
Etymology edit
From the way feathers fly in all directions when chickens fight.
Verb edit
make the feathers fly (third-person singular simple present makes the feathers fly, present participle making the feathers fly, simple past and past participle made the feathers fly)
- To cause a big upset or fight.
Usage notes edit
There are a number of variants of this phrasal verb, such as "make feathers fly" "cause feathers to fly", etc.