always contradicting what other people say
Idiomatic expression describing someone who habitually takes the opposite position, like saying 'river' when someone else says 'mountain'. Used for a contrarian or argumentative person.
He's the type who always contradicts—if you say 'mountain,' he says 'river.'
In meetings, he only makes contradictory remarks, like saying 'river' when someone says 'mountain.'
The expression comes from the idea of always saying the opposite: if someone says 'mountain,' you say 'river.' The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a fixed idiomatic phrase.