Butt heads

[0510] Make a scene

🎲 Walking on eggshells
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • To create a loud, disruptive, embarrassing, or overly emotional disturbance in a public place, drawing unwanted attention.

Origin

  • Comes from the idea of a 'scene' in a play or drama.
  • To 'make a scene' implies creating a dramatic, theatrical, but inappropriate and unwelcome spectacle in a real-life, public setting.
  • Used since around the mid-19th century.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Cause a disturbance / Create a disturbance
  • Create a fuss / Kick up a fuss
  • Throw a tantrum (often implies childish or uncontrolled behavior)
  • Cause a commotion / ruckus
  • Raise Cain (older slang for causing trouble/disturbance)
  • Act out (behave badly, especially for attention)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Cause a ruckus / commotion
  • Kick off (UK suddenly become angry, start trouble/argue loudly)
  • Act out / Act a fool (behave badly/stupidly in public)
  • Wild out (AAVE behave wildly or uncontrollably)
  • Flip out / Lose it (lose control angrily, can happen publicly)
  • Go postal (become uncontrollably angry, often in a workplace context, dated and potentially insensitive origin)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Make a fucking scene.
  • Start shit (initiate trouble or conflict publicly)
  • Act like a fucking lunatic.

Milder/Standard:

  • Create a disturbance.
  • Be disruptive.
  • Cause embarrassment.
  • Lose one's composure publicly.

Situational Appropriateness

  • Informal.
  • Used to describe or criticize socially unacceptable, attention-seeking, or disruptive public behavior. Always carries a negative connotation.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Generally clear in context. Learners need to understand it refers specifically to inappropriate *public* displays of emotion or anger that draw negative attention.

Examples

  • He started shouting at the waiter and really made a scene in the restaurant.
  • Please don't make a scene; let's discuss this calmly when we get home.
  • She was so embarrassed when her toddler threw a tantrum and made a scene in the supermarket.

Dialogue

Customer: (Loudly) This service is outrageous! I refuse to pay for this!

Friend: Hey, man, take it easy. You're kind of making a scene right now. Let's talk to the manager quietly.

Customer: (Lowering voice slightly) Fine. But I'm still furious.

Social Media Examples

  • Tweet: Witnessed someone totally make a scene on the train today over someone's bag taking up a seat. Peak commuting drama. #publictransport #drama
  • Facebook Post: Mortified! My kid had a meltdown and made a huge scene at the checkout. Send wine. #parentingfail #toddlerlife
  • Reddit Post Title (r/AmItheAsshole): AITA for making a scene when my date was rude to the waiter?

Response Patterns

  • Embarrassment/Disapproval (Oh my god, that's so embarrassing, How awful, That was completely unnecessary).
  • Attempts to de-escalate (Okay, okay, calm down, Let's step outside, Lower your voice).
  • Agreement with the request not to make one (Okay, you're right, let's talk later).

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • Trying to calm the person down or remove them from the public situation.
  • Expressing embarrassment or disapproval to others present.
  • Discussing the inappropriate behavior later, privately.

Conversation Starter

  • No.
  • Describes disruptive public behavior or is used as a plea to prevent it.

Intonation

  • Emphasis on make and scene.
  • Please, don't MAKE a SCENE.

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood and used across all generations.

Regional Variations

  • Common in all major English-speaking regions.
Butt heads
🎲 Walking on eggshells