Come out swinging

First Example:

Charlie:  Did you watch the political debate last week?

Emilio:  Of course!  It was so shocking; both candidates came out swinging.

Charlie:  That’s an understatement; they were beyond aggressive.

Emilio:  They attacked each other relentlessly.

Meaning: To "come out swinging" comes from the aggressive act of swinging your arms to punch someone or an object to hurt others.  It’s used as an expression to depict someone mounting a verbal attack on someone aggressively.  In this example, Emilio describes the politicians having a debate which probably involved strong accusations, strong/aggressive behavior or language to attack each other.

Second Example:

Sarah:  If Peter doesn’t have a good explanation for leaving me and my family in the middle of dinner, I’m going to come out swinging at him when he arrives.

Michael:  Hey, take it easy.  Don’t be so violent.  I’m sure there’s a rational explanation.  However, that doesn’t give you the right to attack someone physically.

Sarah:  I won’t actually do it, I’m just so angry for his rude behavior.

Michael:  I understand your anger, but saying something like that will confuse people and think you’re violent.

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Beating a dead horse

Idiom: “Beating a dead horse”

Example:

Minami:  Hey there Mariela.  I heard you were talking to Joyce about politics yesterday, and you told her to “stop beating a dead horse”.  I mean I don’t know much about politics, but I can’t imagine anyone wanting to do something as cruel as that!  Why would she beat a dead horse?  That’s horrible!

Mariela:  Minami, you silly goose!  “Beating a dead horse” is an English idiom.

Minami:  Really?  That’s pretty strange.  What the heck does it mean?

Mariela:  It means repeating something over and over again, trying to make your point in so many different ways that it becomes totally obvious.

Minami:  Oh, I think I get it.  I just don’t understand why English idioms use so many references to animals.  They are very confusing to me! 

Meaning: "Beating a dead horse" is a common idiom has nothing to do with cruelty to animals, dead or alive, but simply means to make your point over and over again ad nauseam!  (Basically, this means to keep explaining and giving examples about something to the point of making your audience sick to their stomachs!).

For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.edu