spit blood

Verb

spit blood (third-person singular simple present spits blood, present participle spitting blood, simple past and past participle spat blood or spit blood)

1. To show great anger or contempt, namely in speaking.
   • ...“But at the magistrate’s court he pleaded complete ignorance of the bank job—and the magistrate refused to commit him on that charge, and all he went up for was the car theft.... But why am I telling you all this? You damn near spat blood at the time, and so did I.”...1969, Douglas Leach, chapter 4, in The Big Boys, Robert Hale, page 29
   • You would never know to meet these reasonable people now that back in 1981 they spat blood at each other and became sworn enemies on minor points of contention about the Labour Party constitution.1999, John O'Farrell, chapter 4, in Things Can Only Get Better, Black Swan, pages 68-69

   Synonyms:

   spit nails, spit venom, spit tacks, spit chips, spit feathers