Idiom
hammer and tongs
Meaning
In a manner indicating seriousness of intent and capability of harm.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“They argued hammer and tongs about the best way to fix the car.”
“The two rivals went at it hammer and tongs during the debate, each trying to prove their policy was superior.”
“The opposing lawyers fought hammer and tongs throughout the lengthy trial, neither side willing to concede a single point to the other.”
Examples
simple
“They argued hammer and tongs about the best way to fix the car.”
contextual
“The two rivals went at it hammer and tongs during the debate, each trying to prove their policy was superior.”
complex
“The opposing lawyers fought hammer and tongs throughout the lengthy trial, neither side willing to concede a single point to the other.”
Origin
Perhaps from the use of a hammer and tongs by traditional blacksmiths. May also be suggestive of the manner in which the hammer is used.
Key words
Related idioms
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