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fly off the handle
fly off the handle
Fig. to lose one's temper. Every time anyone mentions taxes, Mrs. Brown flies off the handle. If she keeps flying off the handle like that, she'll have a heart attack.
fly off the handle
to get very angry fly into a rage When we make mistakes, he brings it to our attention, but he doesn't fly off the handle like he used to.
fly off the handle
(informal) to react in a very angry way to something someone says or does He really flew off the handle when I suggested selling the house.
fly off the handle
Lose one's temper, as in Tom flies off the handle at the slightest setback. This metaphoric expression alludes to the loosened head of a hammer flying off after a blow. [Early 1800s]
fly off the handle
Informal To become suddenly enraged: flew off the handle when the train was finally canceled.
fly off the handle
To lose one's temper. The image is one of speed, as rapidly as an axe head parting company from the handle during a down stroke. The phrase is credited to the 19th-century humorist Thomas Haliburton.