watch the fur fly
English
editEtymology
editFrom the way fur is torn from fighting animals.
Verb
editwatch the fur fly (third-person singular simple present watches the fur fly, present participle watching the fur fly, simple past and past participle watched the fur fly)
- To allow a vicious fight or altercation to result from something or observe such a fight or altercation.
Usage notes
editThere are many variants of this phrasal verb, including watch some fur fly, see the fur fly, see some fur fly, let the fur fly, etc.