pick a quarrel

Idioms  

1. Also,. Seek an opportunity to quarrel or argue with someone. For example, I don't want to pick a quarrel with you, or Jason was always in trouble for picking fights. These terms use pick in the sense of “select.” [Mid-1400s]

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Example Sentences

Even if she gets defensive or wants to pick a quarrel with you, you don’t have to engage: “I don’t want to fight about this with you, so let’s drop the subject.”

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2021

She is a communist and atheist and one day goes to confession, purely and simply to pick a quarrel with the priest – and this is Morin, an excellent performance from Jean-Paul Belmondo.

From The Guardian • Jan. 28, 2017

He warned Japan that, while Britain had no desire to pick a quarrel, she would not let her interests in the Far East be set aside.

From Time Magazine Archive

Easy enough to pick a quarrel with a show like Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll: Where are Sam Cooke and the Drifters?

From Time Magazine Archive

Ned had not gone there; he thought that after what had happened before, he might be suspected of being concerned in the matter, and that one of the men might pick a quarrel with him.

From Dorothy's Double Volume III (of 3) by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)