come to blows | Idiomator

Meaning: (idiomatic)Tofight; toinitiatephysicalconflict, especially subsequent toescalatingtensionorantagonism.1841,James Fenimore Cooper, chapter 6, inThe Deerslayer:I'll follow you, Floating Tom, into the Mingo camp, on such an arr'nd, and will strive to do my duty, should wecome to blows; though, never having been tried in battle, I don't like to promise more than I may be able to perform.1905April–October,Upton Sinclair, chapterI, inThe Jungle, New York, N.Y.:Doubleday, Page & Company, published 26 February 1906,→OCLC:[T]here is a variety of drunkenness. . . . Some stagger about in each other's arms, whispering maudlin words—others start quarrels upon the slightest pretext, andcome to blowsand have to be pulled apart.1966September 9, “LA Jumpy? Two Stars Near Blows”, inMilwaukee Sentinel, USA, retrieved 29 Aug. 2010:The argument grew heated and teammates grabbed the pair to prevent them fromcoming to blows.2009March 24, Rania Abouzeid, “Arab-Kurd Tensions Could Threaten Iraq's Peace”, inTime:Iraqi security forces and peshmerga almostcame to blowsin the disputed area of Khanaqin, in Diyala province, after Iraqi troops tried to enter the mixed town.; (impersonal)To degrade into afightor physicalconflict(in reference to an argument or to a situation oftensionorantagonism).They exchanged insults, without itcoming to blows.

Examples:

EN: I better go in before they come to blows.
ES: Iré antes de que se ponga peor.
EN: - We had a bit of a tiff. - Oh, how terrible. - You, you didn't come to blows or anything?
ES: Es terrible. ¿No habréis llegado a las manos?
EN: They'd almost come to blows.
ES: Casi llegaban a las manos.
EN: They said you had come to blows.
ES: Han visto que se pegaron.
EN: "Mayor and priest come to blows."
ES: El alcalde y el cura llegaron a las manos.
EN: They're glad to see the two champions come to blows.
ES: Se divierten viendo a los dos campeones peleando.
EN: We didn't come to blows, but he didn't like it.
ES: No terminamos a golpes por qué el no quiso.
EN: Le Gueven. why were you and Castille ready to come to blows?
ES: Veamos Le Gueven no hubo discusiones entre los dos sin un motivo grave.
EN: Her husband and her lover had even come to blows.
ES: Su marido y su amante hasta habían llegado a las manos.
EN: Don't worry, it won't come to blows.
ES: No se preocupen, no se golpearan.
EN: We're not going to come to blows over some hussy.
ES: No nos pelearemos por una ramera.
EN: If I hadn't, we'd have come to blows.
ES: Tuve que hacerlo, pegaba duro.
EN: If it had come to blows, Claire might have gotten hit.
ES: Y además, comportándose de esa forma, igual Claire se llevaba una torta.
EN: Take Juliet, she's a fighter. She has courage. She's come to blows several times with the police.
ES: Mira, Juliet, bien, ella combate, ella combate con valor... ya se ha sacudido muchas veces con los polis.
EN: But ifwe go to refuse their offer, you should knowthat itmay come to blows on the spot.
ES: Pero si vamos a rehusar su oferta, debéis saber que podéis encontraros en apuros.

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