Idiom
Fly off the handle
If you fly off the handle, you suddenly lose your temper and become very angry, often over something small.
How people use it
People use it for sudden outbursts: "He tends to fly off the handle when he's tired." It suggests the anger comes fast and is out of proportion to the cause. The tone is informal. In the past tense it becomes "flew off the handle," and the -ing form is "flying off the handle." Because it describes a reaction, it often follows words like "tends to" or "don't." A close match is "blow your top."
Examples
- My brother tends to fly off the handle when he loses at board games.
- Try not to fly off the handle; the delay isn't the waiter's fault.
- Ben apologized for flying off the handle during the meeting.
Where it comes from
The phrase is American and dates from the early 1800s. It pictures an axe or hammer whose head comes loose and flies off the handle when swung, suddenly and dangerously out of control. Tools with loose heads were a common problem at the time, so the image would have been familiar to many people.
Check yourself
1. What happens when someone flies off the handle?
Answer: They suddenly get very angry. Flying off the handle means losing your temper quickly.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Sam flew off the handle when his sister borrowed his bike without asking.. The idiom describes a sudden burst of anger, not travel or calm behavior.
Similar idioms
Word game fan? See every word hiding in HANDLE.