English Reference
Idiom idiom

shitting match

Vulgar

A pointless competition, dispute or conflict, often over some trivial matter.

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


SIMPLE

They are just having a shitting match over who arrives first.

CONTEXTUAL

The meeting turned into a total shitting match over the color of the office walls.

COMPLEX

The two managers engaged in a pointless shitting match, completely ignoring the urgent project deadlines looming over their department.


Compare pissing contest.


Related idioms6entries
  1. 01

    be no match for

    To be outmatched by; to be much weaker, less capable, or less desirable than.

  2. 02

    cuts and scratches

    [Cockney slang]matches

  3. 03

    game, set, match

    An expression indicating finality, announcing that a series of events—usually involving some form of rivalry—has reached a conclusion.

  4. 04

    match made in heaven

    A relationship, such as a marriage, that is happy and successful, sometimes because the partners are very compatible.

  5. 05

    match made in hell

    A relationship that is likely to be unhappy or unsuccessful because the two partners are very incompatible with each other.

  6. 06

    whole shooting match

    Everything; the entire collection, endeavor, or activity.

Last updated August 10, 2026