English Reference
Idiom idiom

it takes two to make a quarrel


It takes two or more people to cause a quarrel; one cannot blame an argument entirely on the other side.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

Stop blaming him, because it takes two to make a quarrel.

CONTEXTUAL

You cannot blame your brother for the entire argument, as it takes two to make a quarrel.

COMPLEX

While both parties insisted the other was solely responsible for the dispute, the mediator reminded them that it takes two to make a quarrel.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    absence makes the heart grow fonder

    One feels more love or affection for those one loves when parted from them.

  2. 02

    be taken ill

    To become ill.

  3. 03

    beast with two backs

    Two people united in sexual intercourse in the missionary position.

  4. 04

    cannot make it

    Cannot reach satisfactory or expected standards or do something competently; describes someone in a hopeless situation.

  5. 05

    cross to take up

    Alternative form of cross to bear.

  6. 06

    doctors make the worst patients

    It is difficult to advise people on subjects that they are experts on.

  7. 07

    eat for two

    To be pregnant

  8. 08

    enough to make a cat laugh

    Very outlandish or outrageous.

Last updated August 10, 2026