watch the fur fly

verb

To allow a vicious fight or altercation to result from something or observe such a fight or altercation.

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Meanings

verbwatch 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)

present singular third person watches the fur fly · participle present watching the fur fly · participle past watched the fur fly · past watched the fur fly

  1. To allow a vicious fight or altercation to result from something or observe such a fight or altercation.

Origin

From the way fur is torn from fighting animals.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

watch the fur fly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watch%20the%20fur%20fly

MLA

“watch the fur fly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watch%20the%20fur%20fly. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “watch the fur fly,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watch%20the%20fur%20fly.

Source: watch the fur fly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.