set somebody by the ears

vyvolat spor, udělat rozruch

I’ve never had much to do with village life, but I believe one has to be very careful, she explained; and we don’t want to set the place by the ears the moment we’ve arrived. We There’s the front-door bell.

Serbia may some day set Europe by the ears and bring about a universal conflict on the continent. I cannot tell you how exasperated people are getting here at the continual worry that little country causes Austria under encouragement from Russia

But the last great de Chavigny collections had been designed by Vlaçek in the late 1920s. Edouard longed for a new collection, for revolutionary designs that would set competitors like Cartier by the ears; designs that would reflect the post-war world and which would use to the full the latest technology.

(BNC-B)

» THE HUMAN BODY