spit blood

present singular third person spits blood · participle present spitting blood · participle past spat blood · past spat blood

1. To show great anger or contempt, namely in speaking.

   You would never know to meet these reasonable people now that back in 1981 they spat blood at each other and became sworn enemies on minor points of contention about the Labour Party constitution.

   1999, John O'Farrell, chapter 4, in Things Can Only Get Better, Black Swan, pages 68-69

   2 more examples

   ...“But at the magistrate’s court he pleaded complete ignorance of the bank job—and the magistrate refused to commit him on that charge, and all he went up for was the car theft.... But why am I telling you all this? You damn near spat blood at the time, and so did I.”...

   1969, Douglas Leach, chapter 4, in The Big Boys, Robert Hale, page 29

   Mrs Audrey Jenning wasn’t the kind of mum you’d expect for what the law still referred to as a ‘common prostitute'. Instead, she was a respectable lady in her fifties, who, sitting primly on the edge of the battered seat he’d offered, virtually spat blood at him.

   2006, Katy Gardner, chapter 12, in Hidden, Michael Joseph, pages 121-122

   Synonyms: spit nails, spit venom, spit tacks, spit chips, spit feathers