I know that the bad blood expression means animosity and dislike. But where does it come from? I can understand why bad, but why blood, and whose blood is implied here?
Learn English – “Bad blood” usage
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This one is actually quite straightforward. It alludes to going out on a branch of a tree. Etymonline says that the figurative sense is from 1897. The Phrase Finder supplies a quote from 1895:
The first uses of it in a figurative sense, with no reference to actual trees or climbing, come from the USA at the end of the 19th century. For example, the Steubenville Daily Herald, October 1895:
[...] If we get the 14 votes of Hamilton we've got 'em out on a limb. All we've got to do then is shake it or saw it off.
I found a use of the phrase in The Sun of New London, Connecticut, January 13, 1917:
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Best Answer
As far as I know, it comes from “blood feuds” between families, clans, or tribes. Have a look at Wiktionary’s definition. One of the earliest appearances seems to be in Essays of Elia by Charles Lamb in 1823.