barroom brawl

English

Noun

barroom brawl (plural barroom brawls)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: A brawl in a barroom.
   • 2017, Sam Shepard, Spy of the First Person, →ISBN, page 8:

     His name was Charlie Upton, from Liverpool. And he had a penchant for whiskey and barroom brawls.

2. A conflict with no rules.
   • 1942 December 19, “Guadalcanal's Great Naval Battle Barroom Brawl, Says Commander”, in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

     The naval battle which cost the Japanese 23 ships off Guadalcanal November 13 was a gigantic "barroom brawl with all lights out and every body swinging," Captain Edward Parker related today.

   • 1987 March 28, “Reagan Imposes 100% Tariffs on Japan Goods Retaliatory Sanctions...”, in Los Angeles Times:

     "We don't want to get involved in a barroom brawl with the United States" while there is still hope for revoking Reagan's decision, the official said.

   • 1993 March 12, “LA MAYOR Personal Attacks Begin to Turn Race Into Brawl”, in Los Angeles Times:

     But in a pair of debates this week, the campaign escalated into a barroom brawl, as a number of top candidates began throwing verbal punches at each other.

3. An inferior boxing match.