spit nails

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spit nails (third-person singular simple present spits nails, present participle spitting nails, simple past spat nails or (US) spit nails, past participle spat nails)

1. (idiomatic) To speak or sputter in a very angry manner.
   • 1965 September 6, Ann Landers, “Exception is Acknowledged”, in Spokane Daily Chronicle, retrieved 22 November 2013, page 17:

     [O]ne thing about Aunt Jenny gets me so mad I could spit nails.

   • 1993 November 9, “RAF chief attacks Treasury over cuts”, in The Independent, UK, retrieved 22 November 2013:

     The three chiefs of staff are described by sources as ‘spitting nails’ over the latest proposals to cut the defence budget even further.

   • 2009 December 14, David M. Herszenhorn, David D. Kirkpatrick, “Lieberman Gets Ex-Party to Shift on Health Plan”, in New York Times, retrieved 22 November 2013:

     Just the thought of Joseph I. Lieberman makes some Democrats want to spit nails these days. But Mr. Lieberman, the Connecticut independent, is not the least troubled by his status as Capitol Hill’s master infuriator.

• spit blood
• spit chips
• spit feathers
• spit tacks
• spit venom

• “spit nails”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

• alpinists, tailspins