kick up a fuss

1. Also,. 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.

Example Sentences

Without partisan interest to kick up a fuss around certain values, it’s the interest groups, ultimately, that take up the fight.

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"I am not the type of person to kick up a fuss," says Pippa, a retired cafe owner.

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There has been growing debate over how to manage what China calls "bear children" - spoilt young kids who kick up a fuss in public spaces such as by screaming or damaging public property.

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But it reinforces her belief that performers should know in advance about explicit scenes so they don't have to "kick up a fuss" on set or feel pressure to do something which makes them feel uncomfortable.

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"They're right to kick up a fuss over this. These customers that are paying for handsets after contracts end are very lucrative for operators, which is why perhaps they've been so slow to move," he said.

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Related Words

• accuse 
• criticize 
• denounce 
• disagree 
• fret 
• gripe 
• grumble 
• lament 
• moan 
• object 
• oppose 
• protest