English
Etymology
Cain refers to the biblical son of Adam and Eve, the first murderer. The expression (also sometimes raise Hell or raise the Devil) means to bring or return that evil to Earth.
Verb
to raise Cain
- idiom to cause trouble
#: If those boys have been out drinking and raising Cain again tonight...
- idiom to behave in a disruptive manner
#: I seen old Flint in the corner there, behind you; as plain as print, I seen him; and if I get the horrors, I'm a man that has lived rough, and I'll raise Cain. - Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
Synonyms
raise Hell
raise the Devil
ru:raise Cain
|