Sage-Tips

What does fly off the handle mean literally?

: to lose control of one’s emotions : to become very angry He tends to fly off the handle when people disagree with him.

What is the sentence of fly off the handle?

1. He flew off the handle at the slightest thing. 2. He’s extremely irritable – he flies off the handle at the slightest thing.

What is the meaning of completely at sea?

Someone who’s at sea is completely lost or deeply confused. The phrase at sea — or all at sea — has a nautical source: before modern navigational systems, when a ship was at sea, it was out of sight of land and therefore in a dangerous, uncertain position.

What’s the meaning of fly into a rage?

Definition of fly into a rage : to suddenly become extremely angry.

What is the meaning of hitting below the belt?

See synonyms for hit below the belt on Thesaurus.com. To say something that is often too personal, usually irrelevant, and always unfair: “To remind reformed alcoholics of their drinking problem is to hit below the belt.” The expression comes from boxing, in which it is illegal to hit an opponent below the belt.

What does it mean to put your nose to the grindstone?

Definition of keep one’s nose to the grindstone : to do hard, continuous work You’ll do well at school if you just keep your nose to the grindstone.

What is the meaning of the idiom run down?

fatigued; weary; exhausted. in a state of poor health: He was in a run-down condition from months of overwork. in neglected condition; fallen into disrepair: a run-down house.

What is let off steam mean?

Also, let off steam. Air or relieve one’s pent-up feelings by loud talk or vigorous activity. For example, Joan’s shouting did not mean she was angry at you; she was just blowing off steam, or After spending the day on very exacting work, Tom blew off steam by going for a long run.

What does turning a deaf ear mean?

Refuse to listen
Refuse to listen, as in You can plead all day but he’s turning a deaf ear to everyone. This expression dates from the first half of the 1400s and was in most proverb collections from 1546 on. Also see fall on deaf ears.

What is the literal meaning of fly off the handle?

Definition of fly off the handle. informal. : to lose control of one’s emotions : to become very angry. He tends to fly off the handle when people disagree with him.

What is the origin of flying off the handle?

According to Fly off the handle. this usage was first published in Thomas C. Haliburton’s The Attaché; or, Sam Slick in England, 1843/4: “He flies right off the handle for nothing.”. Literally, it refers to the axe head accidentally flying off its wooden handle while being used to chop a tree for example.

What does fly off the handle Mean?

fly off the handle. INFORMAL. If you fly off the handle, you suddenly become very angry. When I finally managed to speak to him, he flew off the handle and shouted down the phone. Note: The reference here is to an axe head which has become loose, and so when someone swings the axe, the axe head flies off.

What does go off the handle Mean?

go off the handle To become uncontrollably angry; to lose control of one’s temper. It’s a shame the candidate allowed himself to go off the handle like that during the debate, as it undermines a lot of the really solid arguments he’d been making up to that point. I know you’re upset, but there’s no point going off the handle like that.