A. Being angry
These informal idioms can be used either about yourself or about a third person.
1. I am fed up (to the back teeth) with trying to live on such a small wage
2. I am at wits end trying to keep things in order
3. I’ve had it up to here with this organization
These informal idioms are generally used about other people
You boss will have/throw a fit when he finds out you forgot to reply to those letters.
These less informal idioms describe other people’s anger and are based on the word ‘blood’
If someone’s blood is up, they are very angry or excited and may react in a violent way.
If you are after someone’s blood, you want to catch them in order to hurt or punish them
If you are out of blood, you are determined to find someone to attack or blame for something bad that has happened.
B. Angry Relationships
Drive someone up the wall = make someone very angry ( or sometimes very bored )
Drive/send someone round the bend/twist = make someone very angry ( or sometimes very bored )
Rub someone up the wrong way = make someone annoyed
Get/put someone’s back up = make someone annoyed
Ruffle someone’s feathers = make someone annoyed
Put/send the cat among pigeons = do or say something that makes a lot of people angry or worried
Not be on speaking terms = be so angry with each other that they refuse to speak to each other
Give someone an earful = tell someone how angry you are with them ( informal )
Give someone a piece of your mind = tell someone how angry you are with them
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