195 Fly off the handle
(PW) get angry
Her mother flew off the handle when she found out that her daughter dropped out of college.
(phraseFinder) Lose self control
This is an American phrase and it alludes to the uncontrolled way a loose axe-head flies off from its handle. It is first found in print in Thomas C. Haliburton's The Attaché; or, Sam Slick in England, 1843/4:
"He flies right off the handle for nothing."
Haliburton was an inventive writer and had a hand in the coining of several commonly used phrases: Ginger up, Won't take no for an answer
(free) 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.
(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.
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.
(your)
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]
