raise Cain/hell

raise Cain

To cause or get into trouble; to engage in unrestrained and excessively disruptive behavior. (A reference to the biblical figure Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Abel and was cursed by God.) I started raising Cain as soon as I was in college and could do what I wanted, but I mellowed out after I graduated. The customer has been raising Cain about the service charge we included on his bill.See also: Cain, raise

raise hell

To cause or get into trouble; to engage in unrestrained and excessively disruptive behavior. I started raising hell as soon as I was in college and could do what I wanted, but I mellowed out after I graduated. The customer has been raising hell about the service charge we included on his bill.See also: hell, raise

raise Cain

to make a lot of trouble; to raise hell. (A Biblical reference, from Genesis 4.) Fred was really raising Cain about the whole matter. Let's stop raising Cain.See also: Cain, raise

raise hell

(with something) Go to raise the devil (with something).See also: hell, raise

raise Cain

Also, raise hell or the devil . Behave in a rowdy or disruptive way, as in He said he'd raise Cain if they wouldn't give him a refund, or The gang was out to raise hell that night, or The wind raised the devil with our picnic. The first term alludes to the son of Adam and Eve who killed his brother, Abel. It was first recorded in the St. Louis Daily Pennant (May 2, 1840): "Why have we every reason to believe that Adam and Eve were both rowdies? Because ... they both raised Cain.". This statement makes a pun on raise, meaning "bring up" or "nurturing." The two variants, alluding to bringing hell or the devil up to this world, are older, the first from about 1700, the second from about 1800. See also: Cain, raise

raise hell

see under raise Cain. See also: hell, raise

raise hell

COMMON1. If someone raises hell, they cause trouble by behaving badly in public, for example by getting drunk and breaking things. When he wasn't playing football or training, he was going out with his mates and raising hell. Note: A hell-raiser is someone who frequently causes trouble by behaving badly in public. In his youth he had a reputation for being a hell-raiser. Note: Hell-raising can be used as a noun to describe behaviour like this, or as an adjective to describe a person or their behaviour. He was notorious for his hell-raising and heavy drinking. The hell-raising actor was fined £63 with £20 costs yesterday.2. If someone raises hell about a situation, they complain very angrily about it. If you wake them, they'll raise hell. She came in and raised hell. Her son's sports bag was missing.See also: hell, raise

raise Cain

create trouble or a commotion. informal The sense of raise in this expression is that of summoning a spirit, especially an evil one; similar sayings include raise the Devil and raise hell . A mid 19th-century expression originating in the USA, the particular form raise Cain is possibly a euphemism to avoid using the words Devil or hell . Cain, according to the biblical book of Genesis, was the first murderer.See also: Cain, raise

raise hell

1 make a noisy disturbance. 2 complain vociferously. informalSee also: hell, raise

raise ˈCain/ˈhell

(informal) complain or protest noisily and angrily, often as a way of getting something you want: He’ll raise hell if we don’t finish on time. ▶ ˈhell-raiser noun a violent and destructive person Cain was the first murderer in the Bible.See also: Cain, hell, raise

raise Cain

(...ken) tv. to make a lot of trouble; to raise hell. Fred was really raising Cain about the whole matter. See also: Cain, raise

raise hell

verbSee raise the devil with someoneSee also: hell, raise

raise hell

verbSee raise the devil with somethingSee also: hell, raise

raise hell

1. tv. to make a lot of trouble; to go on a rampage. Stop raising hell so much of the time! 2. tv. to go on a drinking spree and get drunk. Let’s go out and really raise hell. See also: hell, raise