: 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 enthusiasmsynonym
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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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
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We could hear the neighbours going at it hammer and tongs.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.