His angry comment lit the blue touchpaper for a huge argument.
light the blue touchpaper
idiomSynonym of light the touch-paper.
By questioning the manager's authority in front of the team, she lit the blue touchpaper for a major office conflict.
The politician's inflammatory speech lit the blue touchpaper, igniting a wave of public protests that lasted for several weeks across the country.
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amber light
Hesitance to proceed; limited approval or permission to proceed.
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blue chamber
A forbidden room.
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blue devils
Low spirits; depression.
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blue moon
A long time.
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blue note
The flatted 5th scale degree in the blues scale.
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blue ribbon
Highly superior in quality, style, substance, prestige, etc.
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blue state
A state of the United States voting Democratic in a given election, or tending to vote Democratic in general.
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blue wall of silence
Strict secretiveness maintained by the members of a police force with respect to information which might be contrary to their interests, especially information concerning questionable police actions.
Last updated April 17, 2026