Learn English – What’s the origin of the phrase “cruising for bruising”

etymologymeaningslang

It means "Acting in a way that is likely to cause trouble" but what is the origin of this expression which is not present in Etymonline?

Best Answer

From Newsweek magazine, 1951...

Boston has come in for its share of the new slang. In Back Bay or in Charlestown, on the hook is a boy or girl in love. Cruising for a bruising is looking for trouble ; a flookie is a jerk, noivice in soivice is jumpy, and loco in coco is just plain nuts.

I'm in the UK, and I don't recall hearing/reading this expression until around 2000, so my guess is it didn't really cross the Atlantic until social media / Internet chat facilitated more widespread dispersal.

I'd also add that in all the hundreds of times I've come across it since then, I've never known the article to be omitted as per OP's title.

Note that (in BrE, at least) it's not used in quite the same way as looking for trouble. It wouldn't be unusual to hear either of these in a London pub today...

1: You're cruising for a bruising, mate! (threatening: Back off or I'll hit you!)
2: Don't go looking for trouble! (genuine advice)

...but you won't often hear either of those idiomatic usages in the alternate context.

Related Topic