einen Streit vom Zaun brechen

to pick a fight; to start a quarrel abruptly and for no real reason

Origin

The phrase 'etwas vom Zaun brechen' (attested from 1500 in Geiler von Kaysersberg, also in Luther) originally meant getting something with no effort - a fence stake was quickly at hand, also as a weapon in a brawl. With 'Streit' added it now denotes a suddenly started quarrel.

Source

Building blocks

Words in this expression

brechen· to break die Langeweile· boredom der Streit· argument vom· from the der Zaun· fence

Grammar that uses this word

zwischen (between - two-way preposition)zwischen (Wo? + Dativ / Wohin? + Akkusativ)
Genitive preposition 'aufgrund' (because of)Genitivpräposition 'aufgrund'
Complex extended participial attributeKomplexes erweitertes Partizipialattribut
Conditional clauses without „wenn“ (inversion)Konditionalgefüge ohne „wenn“ (Inversion)
Adjective declension after the definite article (nom./acc.)Adjektivdeklination nach bestimmtem Artikel (Nom./Akk.)
Adjective endings in the dativeAdjektivendungen im Dativ

Examples

Aus reiner brach er mit seinem Nachbarn einen .
Out of sheer boredom he picked a fight with his neighbour.