no love lost

no love lost idiom
Dislike, ill will, hate, as in There's no love lost between Bob and Bill. This term originated in the 1500s and until about 1800 could indicate either extreme love or extreme hate. The former was meant in “No love between these two was lost, each was to the other kind” (Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, 1765). Today, however, the term signifies ill will exclusively.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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