hammer and tongs

adverb (or adjective)

: with the force and violence of a blacksmith pounding iron : with all one's strength : in a rough-and-tumble manner

the wedding party going it hammer and tongs down the road — Richard Llewellyn

go after a witness in the old hammer-and-tongs style — Mitchell Dawson

has gone at his job in a hammer-and-tongs way that has annoyed — and offended — a good many businessmen — Newsweek

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with great vigor, determination, or vehemence: When he starts a job he goes at it hammer and tongs.

[1700-10]

Syn. hard, energetically, fiercely, wholeheartedly.

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hammer and tongs

With great noise and violence

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Main Entry: ↑hammer

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hammer and tongs british phrase

with a lot of energy and enthusiasm

Thesaurus: with energy and enthusiasm_synonym

Main entry: hammer

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hammer and tongs,

with all one's force and strength: »

Mr. Peter Thorneycroft and Mr. George Brown were at it hammer and tongs over Polaris (Listener).

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informal energetically, enthusiastically, or with great vehemence

all the way to the bottom, Larry could hear them clanging away, hammer and tongs

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hammer and tongs

: in a very forceful and energetic way

Our neighbors were arguing again last night. They were going at it hammer and tongs.

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Main Entry: ↑hammer

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hammer and tongs — see ↑hammer, 1

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Main Entry: ↑tongs

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ˌhammer and ˈtongs idiom

if two people are at it hammer and tongs or go at it hammer and tongs, they argue or fight with a lot of energy and noise

•

We could hear the neighbours going at it hammer and tongs.

Main entry: ↑hammer_idiom