FrenchFaire devenir chèvre
Meaning: To drive someone up the wall.
Literally: To make someone turn into a goat
Example: “Ce bruit de perceuse va me faire devenir chèvre.” — That drilling noise is going to drive me up the wall.
English equivalent: To drive someone up the wall
Equivalents in other languages
Swedish: reta gallfeber på Literally: To tease gall-fever on
English: drive someone up the wall
Origin: The goat earned this by reputation rather than zoology. It is stubborn, and it is known for going from perfectly calm to a sudden burst of temper with nothing in between — which is the state being described. By the 17th century devenir chèvre (to become a goat) already meant to lose your temper, displacing an older prendre la chèvre (to take the goat) with the same sense. Modern use has drifted a step further, toward driving someone mad rather than merely angry.
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