kick up a row

K

kick up a row (idiom)
/ˌkɪk ˌʌp ə ˈraʊ/

Meanings

• To make a loud disturbance or cause a commotion.
• To complain loudly or express strong disagreement about something.
• To create trouble or start an argument, usually in a noticeable way.

Synonyms: make a fuss; cause a commotion; raise a disturbance; stir up trouble; create an uproar.

Example Sentences

1. The customers kick up a row when the restaurant serves cold food, shouting and demanding to see the manager.
2. The students kick up a row because of unfair grading, gathering in protest and loudly voicing their anger.
3. The politician kicks up a row during the debate, causing everyone to turn their attention to the heated argument.

Origin and History

The idiom “kick up a row” denotes the act of creating a disturbance or commotion, typically through noisy or contentious behavior. Its etymological roots lie in late eighteenth-century British slang, where “row” referred to a noisy quarrel or uproar, a term that surfaced in English vernacular around the mid-1700s. The phrase “kick up” suggests initiating or stirring action, evoking imagery of physical disruption, such as kicking to raise dust or provoke chaos. This combination reflects the idiom’s grounding in informal, working-class British speech, likely tied to urban settings like taverns or street disputes. The “row” as a term for tumult evolved into the phrasal verb “kick up a row,” transitioning from literal to figurative use without significant influence from foreign languages or mythological origins.

Theories and Beliefs on Development

Few specific theories address the precise origin of “kick up a row,” as it likely emerged organically within British colloquial speech rather than from a single event or literary source. A common belief among linguists suggests the phrase draws on the imagery of physical altercations, where kicking sparks disorder and noise, resonating with the era’s rowdy public gatherings or political unrest. Some scholars connect it to earlier expressions like “kick up a dust,” which similarly implies causing trouble and may have served as a linguistic precursor. No widely accepted alternative origins, such as nautical or military roots, appear in scholarly discussions. Instead, the idiom is seen as a product of vernacular culture, often captured in satirical or informal writings that reflected the social dynamics of Georgian England, where language served as a medium for expressing dissent or mischief.

Country of Origin

“Kick up a row” originated in Britain, specifically within the English-speaking urban centers of late eighteenth-century London and its environs. Historical slang dictionaries and literary sources confirm its emergence in British contexts, particularly in environments prone to social disturbances. The phrase later crossed to American English in the early nineteenth century, as evidenced by its inclusion in John Russell Bartlett’s Dictionary of Americanisms (1848), which drew heavily on British slang. This transatlantic spread highlights the phrase’s British roots, firmly tied to the cultural and linguistic landscape of Georgian-era England, before its adoption in broader English-speaking regions.

Earliest Printed Record

The earliest documented use of “kick up a row” appears in Life’s Painter of Real Characters by George Parker, published in London in 1789. This satirical work, which chronicles the lives of London’s underclass, includes the phrase on page 142:

“Tolobon Nan. Whose a-going to kick up a roue?”

Here, “roue” is an alternate spelling of “row,” used in dialogue to signify impending trouble or disruption. Parker’s text, a significant early record of British slang, establishes the phrase’s presence in written English, predating other known citations. The 1789 publication date situates the idiom within the late eighteenth-century surge of vernacular literature, offering a clear point of entry into the historical record.

Historical Evolution and Usage

The idiom “kick up a row” gained prominence in the nineteenth century, appearing in various literary and journalistic contexts that reflected Britain’s social and cultural dynamics. It surfaced in works such as Robert Burns’s satirical poetry (1799) and Pierce Egan’s Boxiana (1821), where it described contentious scenes, from boxing matches to social disputes, underscoring its link to class tensions and public spectacles. By the Victorian era, the phrase had solidified as a common expression for vocal or disruptive protest. Its continued use in modern English, across contexts from political activism to casual complaints, highlights its versatility and enduring relevance. This historical trajectory reveals how “kick up a row” evolved from a slang term rooted in Britain’s urban underbelly to a widely recognized idiom capturing the spirit of vocal disruption.

Variants

• kick up a fuss
• kick up a stink
• raise hell
• raise a ruckus.

Trouble, Up