raised Cain
Made big trouble
To raise Cain is to cause a noisy disturbance or commotion, often through angry protest or rowdy behavior: The customers raised Cain when they found out the prices had doubled.
The expression alludes to Cain, the biblical figure who murdered his brother Abel—summoning him, as it were, through disruptive conduct.
Sometimes softened to raise heck or raise hell.
- rebelliousnessTendency toward defiant resistance
- angerIntense hostile emotion
- disorderAbsence of organization
- insubordinationDefying workplace authority
- defianceOpen resistance to authority
fratricide · caused a stir · chaos · indignation · scandal · unruliness · made waves · stirred the pot · upheaval · conflict · rocked the boat · fury · wrath · upset the applecart · made a scene · threw a fit · Abel · agitation
raised Cainkept the peace
Maintained order and calm
stayed calm · kept quiet · toed the line · played nice · went along
raised Cainstayed calm
kept one's cool · held it together · grinned and bore it · rolled with the punches