red flag in front of a bull
English
editEtymology
editA metaphor for the muleta used by bullfighters.
Noun
edit- Synonym of red rag to a bull
- 2007, Georgina Gentry, To Love a Texan, page 63:
- That message always acted like a red flag to a bull and they charged in, determined to hog-tie him and put a wedding ring through his nose.
- 2008, John Calvert, Another Sort of Life:
- Of course his complicated financial dealings must have been a direct provocation to the IRS, a red flag in front of a bull.
- 2012, Henrik Bogdan, Martin P. Starr, Aleister Crowley and Western Esotericism:
- To a committed individualist such as Norton, this was truly a case of “waving a red flag at a bull,” and although there was undeniably a certain amount of overblown and probably mock-offended rhetoric in her response, equally there is no doubt that many of the objections she raised were her sincerely held opinions
- 2012, Kresley Cole, Lothaire:
- Yes, his mocking stung, but he hadn't cowed her; he'd just waved a red flag in front of a bull.