fly off the handle
Suddenly become furious
To fly off the handle is to lose one's temper suddenly and explosively: He flew off the handle when he saw the dent in his car.
The image is of an axe head separating from its handle mid-swing—loss of control with potentially dangerous results.
The phrase emphasizes the abruptness of the outburst rather than its duration.
- hit the roofBecome extremely angry suddenly
- go ballisticLose temper violently
- flare upSuddenly worsen or intensify
- flip outLose emotional control suddenly
- blow a gasketLose one's temper violently
go through the roof · blow one's stack · anger · lose one's temper · rage · outburst · blow up · snap · rant · freak-out · meltdown · lose it · blow a fuse · come unglued · fire up · hit the ceiling · see red · explode
- anger expressionssee red, seeing red, lose your temper, blow a fuse, blow a gasket
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- Old Idiomsbeyond the pale, hue and cry, scot-free, knight in shining armor, eat humble pie
- ragerage, fury, wrath, enraged, furious
- outburstsoutburst, burst, eruption, tantrum, meltdown
- expressions for speaking rashlyfoot in mouth, speak too soon, blurt out, speak out of turn, let slip
fly off the handlekeep one's cool
Maintain emotional control
stay calm · cope · bite one's tongue · maintain · count to ten
fly off the handletake it easy
Advice to relax
simmer down · cool off · chill out · mellow out · de-escalate