Idiom: 'A red rag to a bull' Meaning: A deliberate provocat | English Idioms

Idiom:

"A red rag to a bull"

Meaning:
A deliberate provocation.

For example:

Telling Putin that he is macho as a response to being small in stature was like a red rag to a bull.

Where did it originate?:
Britain. An allusion to bullfighting, where the bull is provoked by a waved cloth.

Where is it used?:
Worldwide.
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