Need help understanding what 卑怯もくそもあるか means

Question

I get that it's kinda of slangy, but I'm having issues wrapping my head around it.

The full sentence was ケンカに卑怯もクソもあるかと言ったのは誰だったかな

Answer 1

The general construct:

(something) もクソもない

means that (something) isn't even a sensible topic (in the given certain context). There are a number of possible reasons: there is something to be address in prior to a problem; it is completely out of context; someone asked about a certain quality (adjective) of something that has no resemblance of it; etc.

As an example, 戦うもクソもない could be used in any situation when fighting is completely out of context/nonsensical: because the opponent is so much stronger and you stand no chance; because the other party isn't an enemy and fighting them would be insane; because there is something much more important to be done at the moment than fighting; etc.

Likewise, 喧嘩に卑怯もクソもあるか could be said when:

• Someone has been accused of doing something cheap/coward (卑怯)
• That someone believes that in the given context (喧嘩), being 卑怯 or not is not important, or that you can't be 卑怯 (e.g. because there are no rules)