noun / verb
beef
A grievance expressed in a dispute.
His main beef is that nobody warned him about the extra fee.
Etymology
Probably an extension of beef, the meat word, through its slang verb for complaining. The semantic bridge is uncertain.
More examples
- The two musicians have a longstanding beef.
- She beefed about the service throughout dinner.
- Stop beefing and explain what you want changed.
Forms
beef · beefs · beefed · beefing