open a can of whoop ass
A good-humored threat of physical harm.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“If you touch my lunch again, I will open a can of whoop ass.”
“The coach told the team that if they didn't start playing harder, he would open a can of whoop ass on them.”
“The veteran fighter grinned at his opponent, jokingly warning that he was about to open a can of whoop ass if the match continued.”
From English whoop (variant of whip) + ass.
- 01
ass over teakettle
Tumbling upside down.
- 02
beat someone's ass
To thrash someone.
- 03
bite my ass
Go away!; an expression of disdain or dismissal.
- 04
bite my shiny metal ass
An expression of discontent or aggravation to another party.
- 05
bust ass
To work hard, especially when trying to achieve a goal.
- 06
cover someone's ass
To make preparations or take precautions to ensure that a person is not blamed or punished for his or her conduct.
- 07
drag ass
To move slowly, or lag behind.
- 08
find one's ass with both hands and a flashlight
Synonym of know one's ass from a hole in the ground.
Last updated August 10, 2026