get someone's goat
Deliberately cause vexation
To get someone's goat is to annoy or irritate them, often deliberately: Don't let him get your goat—he's just trying to provoke you.
The phrase suggests successfully finding someone's vulnerability and exploiting it to produce frustration.
- aggravationState of being vexed
- displeasureMild anger or disapproval
- annoyanceState of being bothered
- goadingInciting through persistent pressure
- exasperationIntense weary annoyance
pestering · hit a nerve · antagonism · needling · frustration · provoking · rub the wrong way · irritation · get a rise out of · vexation · taunting · indignation · irk · teasing · peeve · infuriate · nagging · mocking
get someone's goatsoothe
Gently ease discomfort
calm · calm down · put at ease · reassure · pacify
get someone's goatmollify
Reduce anger or distress
appease · pour oil on troubled waters · smooth someone's feathers · defuse · disarm
goat, someone, somebody, getting, gets, exasperate, scapegoat, someone's, somebody's