rough-and-tumble

[ ruhf-uh n-tuhm-buh l ]
/ ˈrʌf ənˈtʌm bəl /

adjective

characterized by violent, random, disorderly action and struggles: a rough-and-tumble fight; He led an adventuresome, rough-and-tumble life.
given to such action.

noun

rough and unrestrained competition, fighting, struggling, etc.

Origin of rough-and-tumble

First recorded in 1785–95

British Dictionary definitions for rough and tumble

rough-and-tumble

noun

a fight or scuffle without rules

adjective

characterized by roughness, disorderliness, and disregard for rules or conventions

Idioms and Phrases with rough and tumble

rough and tumble

Disorderly scuffling or infighting, as in She had some reservations about entering the rough and tumble of local politics. This expression originated in the late 1700s in boxing, where it referred to a fight without rules. [Mid-1800s]