“Fly off the handle”in other languages
Suddenly lose your temper.
English
French
Portuguese
Spanish
EnglishFrenchPortugueseSpanishSame idea, different pictures
English and French picture something coming loose. An axe head flies off a loose handle; a door comes off its hinges, sortir de ses gonds. Spanish loses its stirrups, perder los estribos, and with them all control.
French can also take the fly, prendre la mouche, like cattle bolting when a gadfly bites. Brazilian Portuguese turns into an animal, virar bicho.
More sayings in other languages
- Not see beyond the end of one's nose
- Get back on one's feet
- Get on someone's nerves
- Get out of hand
- Get the short end of the stick
- Gild the lily
- Give someone the brush-off
- Give someone the cold shoulder
- Give someone what for