light the touchpaper

English

Verb

light the touchpaper (third-person singular simple present lights the touchpaper, present participle lighting the touchpaper, simple past and past participle lit the touchpaper or lighted the touchpaper)

1. Alternative form of light the touch-paper
   • 2024 March 10, David Hytner, “Doku involved at both ends as Liverpool and Manchester City share spoils”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     It was Alexis Mac Allister who lit the touchpaper at the start of the second half, scoring from the penalty spot to cancel out John Stones’s opener for City midway through a first half that the defending champions had shaded.