FromMario Puzo's gangster novelThe Godfather (1969). Those involved in such a conflict might be expected to stay in hideouts where they would sleep on mattresses rather than in beds.

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gotothemattresses (third-person singular simple presentgoes to the mattresses,present participlegoing to the mattresses,simple pastwent to the mattresses,past participlegone to the mattresses)

1. (idiomatic) To go towar; to useruthlesstactics; to act withoutrestraint.
   • 1969, Mario Puzo,The Godfather, Putnam, page132:

     I want Sollozzo. If not, it's all-out war. We'llgo to the mattresses.

   • 1988 December 18, Glen Waggoner, “Sports: Collusion Is Over, but Excess Is Back”, inNew York Times, retrieved21 September 2008:

     They will have togo to the mattresses; that is they will have to risk a long ugly strike.

   • 2008, "Transcript: CNN LARRY KING LIVE—Interview with Senator Hillary Clinton," CNN analystJamal Simmons speaking, 21 Apr.:

     Now, when you're fighting Republicans . . . Democrats are all rallied around and ready to go ahead andgo to the mattresses.

• go to the mat

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