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make a stink

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make a (big) stink (about someone or something)

 and raise a (big) stink (about someone or something)

Fig. to make trouble about someone or something. Why did you raise a big stink about it? Jim is making a stink about Alice.

See also: make, stink

make a stink

(about something) Go to create a stink (about something).

See also: make, stink

make a stink

Also, raise a stink. Create a great fuss; complain, criticize, or otherwise make trouble about something. For example, They promised to fix the printer today; you needn't make a stink about it, or The parents were raising a stink about the principal's new rules. This idiom transfers an offensive odor to a public fuss. [Mid-1800s] Also see make a scene.

See also: make, stink

make a stink

verb

See raise a stink about someone/something

See also: make, stink