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so i thought maybe "spoiling for a fight" was some nautical thing, like putting up a weird little sail so you could maneuver better during close action

but according to some internets the first printed use was in 1858

it's an Americanism that seems to mean you'll "spoil for want of a fight", like a poorly treated or stored crop

this is sort of cute

you want that fight and you're about to turn into a bad vegetable if you don't get it