FrenchSortir de ses gonds
Meaning: To fly into a rage; to lose one's temper suddenly and violently.
Literally: To come off its hinges
Example: “D'habitude si calme, mon père est sorti de ses gonds quand il a vu la facture.” — Usually so calm, my father flew off the handle when he saw the bill.
English equivalent: To fly off the handle
Other ways to say this
Spanish: perder los estribos Literally: To lose the stirrups
Portuguese: virar bicho Literally: To turn animal
English: fly off the handle- French: Prendre la mouche Literally: To take the fly
Origin: A door that comes off its gonds (hinges) no longer works and swings out of control. Jean Nicot's dictionary of 1606 already speaks of a man who goes hors des gonds de la raison (off the hinges of reason), and the Académie française's first dictionary (1694) has mettre quelqu'un hors des gonds for making someone so angry they are beside themselves. English says "come unhinged" for the same image.
More French idioms
- Reprendre du poil de la bête To recover one's strength or spirit after a setback; to bounce back.
- Arriver comme un cheveu sur la soupe To show up at a completely inopportune, awkward moment.
- C'est l'hôpital qui se fout de la charité Said when someone criticizes another for a flaw they share themselves; the pot calling th…
- Allonger pour le compte To knock someone out in a boxing match; to fell someone.
- Avancer masqué To act in a hidden or anonymous way, concealing one's intentions or identity.
- Passer un savon To scold or rebuke someone harshly.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.
- Épanouissement The full flourishing of a person — blooming into your most complete, radiant self. More t…
- Ressourcement The act of returning to one's roots or origins to find renewal — going back to a place, t…
- Dépaysement The disorienting yet often pleasant feeling of being far from home, immersed in the unfam…
Keep exploring