cough and a spit

(idiomatic, informal, chiefly, Australia) The act of overreacting (as an adult) to a situation childishly, in an angry or frustrated manner.

Spit chips is an Australian slang phrase meaning to be extremely angry — furious to the point of incoherence. The image is vivid: someone so enraged they can barely speak, as if spitting rather than talking. It's a characteristically Australian idiom that maps intense emotion onto an absurd physical image. Register is informal and expressive; it conveys genuine anger while the imagery keeps it from feeling entirely serious. Common in Australian casual speech and writing.

A mild British expletive of annoyance or frustration — the kind of thing you mutter when something goes wrong but you're keeping it relatively clean. It's a softer, more restrained alternative to stronger swear words, conveying exasperation without full-on profanity. Think of it as the British equivalent of 'dammit' but dialed back a notch. Useful when you stub your toe in polite company or when something minor but irritating goes sideways.