lock horns
idiom

- to become engaged in argument or battle

Collins English Dictionary

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PHRASE ORIGIN

"Lock" as a noun, meaning a device for securing something, derives from Old English loc, which is related to Middle Dutch lok and Old High German loch, all meaning "bolt" or "bar”.

"Lock" as a verb, meaning to fasten or secure something, derives from the above-mentioned noun-form, from Old English locian, which meant "to fasten with a lock" or "to enclose”.

“To lock horns" has the figurative meaning of engaging in a conflict or confrontation, often between two stubborn or opposing parties. The phrase is derived from the behaviour of certain animals, particularly deer or bighorn sheep, who literally lock their horns during combat. The term dates back to the 18th century and has been used metaphorically to describe clashes or disputes ever since.

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LOCKED-HORNS HUMOUR

1. Dorothy Parker vs. William Faulkner: 
Parker once reviewed Faulkner's book, saying, "This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force."

2. Albert Einstein vs. Niels Bohr:
These two renowned physicists had lively debates about quantum mechanics. Einstein famously stated, "God does not play dice with the universe," to which Bohr humorously retorted, "Einstein, stop telling God what to do."

3. Mark Twain vs. Oscar Wilde:
In 1882, during their meeting in New York, Twain remarked, "Do you mind if I smoke?" to which Wilde famously replied, "I don't care if you burn."

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SYNONYMS

- to fight with someone

battle, be at each other's throats (at loggerheads, at odds), bump heads, butt against, butt heads, come to blows, cross daggers (swords), draw a line in the sand, draw swords, duke it out, face off, fight like cat and dog, fire a shot across the bow, go on the warpath (head to head, toe to toe, to the mat),

have a barney (a bone to pick, a catfight, a ding-dong, a donnybrook, a dust-up, a face-off, a falling out, a fracas, an altercation, a row, a set-to, a spat, a square go, a tiff, a tussle, words),

hit/knock heads, lay into each other, lock antlers, LOCK HORNS, meet head-on, open a can of worms, play hardball, put one's foot down (the gloves on, up a fight), raise a stink, rub up the wrong way, slug it out, square off, stand up to, stir up a hornet's nest, take a stand (issue with, someone to task, the bull by the horns, the gloves off), tangle with, thrash it out, throw down the gauntlet, trade blows, upset the apple cart, wage a war of words, wage war, with daggers drawn

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“Negotiation techniques which avoid LOCKING HORNS offer the highest probability of eventual agreement.”

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