red flag in front of a bull

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English

Etymology

A metaphor for the muleta used by bullfighters.

Noun

red flag in front of a bull

  1. Synonym of red rag to a bull
    • 2007, Georgina Gentry, To Love a Texan, page 63:
      That message always acted like a red flag to a bull and they charged in, determined to hog-tie him and put a wedding ring through his nose.
    • 2008, John Calvert, Another Sort of Life:
      Of course his complicated financial dealings must have been a direct provocation to the IRS, a red flag in front of a bull.
    • 2012, Henrik Bogdan, Martin P. Starr, Aleister Crowley and Western Esotericism:
      To a committed individualist such as Norton, this was truly a case of “waving a red flag at a bull,” and although there was undeniably a certain amount of overblown and probably mock-offended rhetoric in her response, equally there is no doubt that many of the objections she raised were her sincerely held opinions
    • 2012, Kresley Cole, Lothaire:
      Yes, his mocking stung, but he hadn't cowed her; he'd just waved a red flag in front of a bull.