raise Cain
English
Etymology
From Cain, the biblical son of Adam and Eve, the first murderer. The expression implies bringing or returning that evil to Earth.
Verb
raise Cain
- (idiomatic) To cause trouble or commotion; to behave in a disruptive manner.
- If those boys have been out drinking and raising Cain again tonight.
- 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island:
- "I seen old Flint in the corner there, behind you; as plain as print, I seen him; and if I get the horrors, I'm a man that has lived rough, and I'll raise Cain."
Synonyms
- (cause trouble): raise the Devil, raise hob, raise hell, raise the roof
Translations
to cause trouble
|
|
Anagrams
- Césairian