English idioms relating to
ANGER - IRRITATION
To be up in arms | If you are up in arms about something, you are very angry. "The population was up in arms over the demolition of the old theatre." |
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Get off my back! | If you tell somebody to get off your back, you ask them to stop finding faults or criticizing you. | |
A bad hair day | Originating as a humorous comment about one's hair being unmanageable, this term has broadened to mean 'a day when everything seems to go wrong'. "What's wrong with Jenny? Is she having a bad hair day?" | |
Like a bear with a sore head | If someone is behaving like a bear with a sore head, they are very irritable and bad-tempered. "When his team lost the match, Brad was like a bear with a sore head." | |
Bite someone's head off | If you bite someone's head off, you criticize them strongly (and perhaps unfairly). "I worked 10 hours a day all week and my boss bit my head off for not doing my share of the work!" | |
Blow a fuse | If you blow a fuse, you suddenly lose your temper and become very angry. "Charlie blew a fuse yesterday when he discovered that his ipod had been stolen." | |
Blow a gasket | When a furious person blows a gasket, they explode with anger. "When the shop was burgled for the third time, the owner blew a gasket." | |
Blow your top | If you blow your top, you suddenly become very angry. "When my mother saw the state of the apartment after the party, she blew her top!" | |
Have a bone to pick with someone | To say that you have a bone to pick with somebody means that you are annoyed with them and want to talk to them about it. | |
In somebody's good/bad books | If you are in somebody's good or bad books, you have their approval or disapproval. "I'm in my wife's bad books at the moment because I forgot our wedding anniversary!" | |
Cheesed off | If someone is cheesed off with something, they are annoyed, bored or frustrated. "Julie is absolutely cheesed off with her job. | |
For crying out loud | This expression is used to show irritation, exasperation or anger. "For crying out loud! Turn that television off!" | |
Cut no ice (with somebody) | If something cuts no ice, it has no effect or makes no impression on someone. "Her explanation cut no ice with the teacher who said he would tolerate no more unjustified absences." | |
Cut it out! | If you say cut it out to someone, you are telling them to stop doing something. "I've had enough of your insinuations, so just cut it out!" | |
Drive up the wall | If somebody or something drives you up the wall, they do something that greatly annoys or irritates you. "I can't concentrate with all the noise - it's driving me up the wall!" |
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Fit to be tied | Someone who is fit to be tied is extremely irritated, upset or angry. "Harry was fit to be tied when his dog dug up the flowers he had planted." | |
Get/take flak | If you get or take flak, you receive severe criticism for something you have done. "He got a lot of flak for the way he handled the situation." | |
Flea in one's ear | After an attempt at something, if you are sent away with a flea in your ear, you are angrily reprimanded or humiliated. "When he tried to put the blame on Pete, he was sent away with a flea in his ear." | |
Fly off the handle | A person who flies off the handle becomes suddenly very angry. "Dad flew off the handle when I told him I had damaged his new car." | |
Foam at the mouth | Someone who foams at the mouth is extremely angry about something. "The director was foaming at the mouth when he saw a picture of his children in the newspaper." | |
Get your knickers in a twist. | If you get your knickers in twist, you are angry, nervous or upset faced with a difficult situation "Don't get your knickers in a twist! Everything is under control." | |
Get a rise out of somebody | If you make someone react angrily by jokingly saying something that you know will irritate them, you get a rise out of them. "He gets a rise out of his daughter by asking about her latest diet." | |
Get in someone's hair | If you are getting in somebody's hair, you are annoying them so much that they can't get on with what they're doing. "I'd finish the report more quickly if my colleague wasn't getting in my hair all the time!" | |
Give it a rest! | If someone tells you to give it a rest, they are asking you to stop doing something such as complaining or talking continuously. "All you talk about is politics - give it a rest...please! " | |
Give someone a piece of your mind |
If you tell someone exactly what you think, in a very angry manner, you give them a piece of your mind. "Jack was so irritated by his neighbours' behaviour that he decided to give them a piece of his mind." | |
Give the (rough) of one's tongue | If you give the (rough) edge of your tongue, you scold someone severely or speak to them very aggressively or rudely. "My boss was so angry that I really got the rough edge of his tongue." | |
Give someone a tongue-lashing | When you scold someone severely, you give them a tongue- lashing. "The teacher gave Jeremy a tongue-lashing when he arrived late for school." | |
(The) gloves are off! | This expression is used when there are signs that a fight is about to start. "The two candidates are out of their seats. The gloves are off!" | |
Go ballistic | When someone goes ballistic, they become very angry. "My dad went ballistic when he saw the state of the garden after the barbecue." | |
Go off the deep end | A person who goes off the deep end becomes suddenly very angry or emotional. "The old lady went off the deep end when her cat was killed." | |
Go spare | If you go spare you lose your temper completely. "Lea's dad would go spare if he found out how much she had spent in London!" | |
Go through the roof | If someone goes through the roof, they become very angry "His father went through the roof when Paul damaged his new car." | |
Good riddance! | This expression is used to express relief at becoming free of an unpleasant or unwanted person or thing. "Our horrible neighbour has moved house, and all I can say is 'good riddance'!" |
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Harp on (about) something | If you harp on (about) something, you tire others by continuously and tediously talking about it. "My parents are always harping on about my school results." | |
Haul someone over the coals | If you haul someone over the coals, you reprimand them harshly because they have done something wrong or incorrectly. "He was hauled over the coals for the poor quality of his presentation. | |
Hot under the collar | If you get hot under the collar, you feel annoyed, indignant or embarrassed. "If anyone criticizes his proposals, Joe immediately gets hot under the collar." | |
Jump down someone's throat | If you jump down someone's throat, you suddenly start shouting at them in a very angry manner. "When I said the instructions were not very clear, she jumped down my throat." | |
Kick yourself | If you feel like kicking yourself, you are angry with yourself for something you have done or not done. "I could have kicked myself for forgetting Julie's birthday." | |
Like a red flag to a bull | To say that a statement or action is like a red flag to a bull means that it is sure to make someone very angry or upset. "Don't mention Tom's promotion to Mike. It would be like a red flag to a bull! | |
Like a ton of bricks | If somebody comes down on you like a ton of bricks, they criticize you severely because you have done something wrong. "If you mix up the order the boss will come down on you like a ton of bricks!" | |
Look daggers at someone | Someone who looks daggers at another looks at them very angrily. "David looked daggers at Paul when he invited his new girlfriend to dance." | |
Make one's hackles rise | If someone makes your hackles rise, they make you angry. "Her constant criticism really makes my hackles rise!" | |
Make a song and dance | If someone complains in an annoying way or becomes unnecessarily excited about something unimportant, they make a song and dance about it. "OK. You don't like carrots! There's no need to make a song and dance about it!" | |
Mind their own business | Telling someone to mind their own business is a way of saying that they are too interested in what other people are doing, or that they are interfering in something that does not concern them. "Don't tell me what to do - just mind your own business!" | |
More heat than light | If a discussion or debate generates more heat than light, it causes anger or intense reaction but doesn't clarify anything. "The meeting that was held to discuss the problem generated more heat than light." | |
Have a quick temper | If you have a quick temper, you get angry very easily. "He makes me nervous - he's got such a quick temper." | |
Rant and rave | If you rant and rave about something, you protest noisily and forcefully. "The old man ranted and raved about the new waste collection system, but he had to accept it." | |
Rap on the knuckles | If someone gets a rap on/across the knuckles, they are punished or reprimanded, not very severely, but as a reminder not to do that again. "Andy got a rap on the knuckles for coming home late." | |
Road rage | Aggressive driving habits sometimes resulting in violence against other drivers. "A number of car accidents today are a result of road rage." | |
Scream blue murder | Someone who screams blue murder shouts or complains very loudly as if something very serious has happened. "The crowd started screaming blue murder when the football match was interrupted." | |
Short fuse | When someone has a short fuse, they are likely to become angry easily or quickly. "Be careful how you explain the situation. The boss has a very short fuse these days!" | |
See red | If someone sees red, they suddenly become very angry or annoyed about something. "Discrimination of any kind makes me see red!" |
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Skin someone alive | If you are angry and threaten to skin someone alive, you mean that you are going to punish them severely. "If that kid damages my car again, I'll skin him alive!" | |
Smooth somebody's ruffled feathers |
If you smooth somebody's ruffled feathers, you make that person feel less angry or offended. "Tom took the criticism badly, but James managed to smooth his ruffled feathers" | |
Steamed up | If someone is or gets steamed up about something, they become very angry, excited or enthusiastic about it. "Calm down - there's no need to get all steamed up about it! " | |
Step/tread on someone's toes | If you annoy or irritate somebody by intervening in a situation that is their responsibility, you step on their toes. "I could offer some advice but I'm afraid of stepping on someone's toes." | |
Stick in one's throat (or craw) |
If a situation, or someone's attitude, sticks in your throat (or craw), it is difficult to accept and makes you angry or resentful. "The way he treats women really sticks in my throat!" | |
A storm is brewing | To say that a storm is brewing means that the atmosphere indicates that there is going to be trouble, probably with outbursts of anger or emotion. "As soon as we saw Pete's face, we knew there was a storm brewing." | |
Tear a strip off someone | If you tear a strip off someone, you reprimand them severely for doing something wrong. "The teacher tore a strip off Charlie for being late again." | |
Tell someone a thing or two | If you tell someone a thing or two, you express your thoughts (usually criticism) very clearly. "Let me tell you a thing or two about your son's behaviour" said John to the boy's father. | |
That makes my blood boil! | If something makes your blood boil, it makes you really angry. "His condescending attitude made my blood boil!" | |
That's going too far! | If you go too far, you do something that is considered extreme or unacceptable. "Stealing is bad, but stealing from a poor person - that's going too far!" | |
That takes the biscuit! | This expression refers to something very irritating or annoying. "After waiting for an hour, we were told that there were no seats left. That really took the biscuit!" | |
That's the last straw! | The expression means that this is the latest unpleasant event, and that you cannot tolerate the situation any longer. "The kids are screaming, dinner is not ready, and now the dog has run away - that's the last straw! | |
Throw a wobbly (or a wobbler) | When someone (usually a capricious person) throws a wobbly, they have a fit of nerves or bad temper and lose all self-control. "He's very calm - not the type of man who'll throw a wobbly when he doesn't have a clean shirt!" | |
Try somebody's patience | Someone who finds it difficult to be patient with you, because of your irritating attitude or behaviour, can say that you are trying their patience "His constant interruptions began to try the teacher's patience." | |
Vent your spleen | When you vent your spleen, you release or express all your anger about something. "Whenever Jack is angry about new government measures, he vents his spleen by writing to newspapers." | |
Want someone's head on a platter |
If someone makes you so angry that you want them to be punished, you want their head on a platter. "He was so angry when he read the article about his family that he wanted the journalist's head on a platter." | |
Wink of sleep | If someone doesn't get a wink of sleep, they don't sleep at all. "It was so noisy in the hotel, I didn't get a wink of sleep." |