Taking things to the absolute extreme in order to avoid a series of small escalations. This can be a way of winning a fight you might not otherwise win, but has the potential to destroy both people involved.

Examples:

A kid tells you your hat is ugly so you tell him Santa isn't real

Your friend makes a joke about the way you mispronounce things and embarrasses you in-front of others, so you tell her that her boyfriend is cheating on her.

v. collectively or individually finding someone/something to blame for a problem, as opposed to brainstorming which connotes finding solutions to a problem

n. the act of finding someone/something to blame for a problem

(from a TV ad for HD television)