tooth and tong

English

Etymology

Blend of tooth and nail +‎ hammer and tongs

Adverb

tooth and tong (comparative more tooth and tong, superlative most tooth and tong)

  1. Presenting a vigorous and unified opposition.
    • 1957, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, Agricultural Situation and Farm Programs:
      In 1935, I think it was, when a number of Senators and Congressmen introduced grain alcohol bills similar to the one Senator Mundt and I have introduced—but we are told those bills were fought tooth and tong by the oil interests, hence never became law.
    • 1973, Denis Brian, Murderers and Other Friendly People:
      Mrs. Meier, wife of the under sheriff at the jail, turned against me. And Duane West is one of my bitterest enemies. And they were sort of working tooth and tong.
    • 1991, Richard Herman, Firebreak, page 71:
      The old guard is fighting his economic reforms tooth and tong.
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