When push comes to shove

When push comes to shove means it is time for more force or commitment to resolve a situation, and is first recorded in America from the late 19th century. One theory, not proven, is that it originates from African American domestic workers who on their day off, usually a Thursday, would ‘accidentally’ bump or shove whites in public places and these Thursdays then became known as ‘Shove’ or ‘Bump’ Thursdays.