When would you say...
Choose all correct answers.
Explain why the other answers are wrong.
1. She drives me up a wall.
a. She climbs walls.
b. She makes me crazy.
c. She’s strange.
5. You tear your hair out
when
a. you hate your hairstyle
b. it’s very hot
c. when very frustrated
9. She went bananas when
she lost her passport.
a. She sells bananas.
b. She was very upset.
c. She bought bananas.
13. His dad was as mad as a
hornet.
a. There’s a nest of hornets at his
house.
b. He’s crazy not angry.
c. Look out! He’s fuming.
17. That was the last straw.
a. We are out of straws.
b. I can’t take it any more.
c. That was way too much.
2. My boss blew his
stack/top when
a. I deleted the report.
b. I forgot his name.
c. I broke the photocopier.
6. You say – Don’t have a
cow to
a. a farmer who lost a cow
b. to someone who is upset about
nothing
c. when playing Farmville
10. When the worst team
wins that takes the cake.
a. the cake is the prize
b. it’s unfair
c. the team prefers cake to
winning a cup
14. His mom blew up when
she saw his report card.
a. She blew up balloons.
b. She was furious.
c. She didn’t mind.
18. I was beside myself with
worry.
a. I’m really worried.
b. I sat beside my friend.
c. I am not at all bothered.
3. I was hopping mad when
my best friend
a. stood me up
b. forgot my birthday
c. lost my i-Pod
7. Your father went ballistic,
because
a. He likes rockets.
b. He’s extremely angry.
c. He’s interested in outer
space.
11. When he loses in tennis,
he sees red.
a. He’s really upset.
b. He’s colorblind.
c. He gets like a bull when it
sees a red cape.
15. Noisy neighbors really
get my goat.
a. The neighbors took my
goat.
b. Goats are noisy too.
c. It bothers me a lot.
19. For crying out loud will
you be quiet.
a. Someone is making a lot of
noise.
b. I was crying loudly.
c. I don’t mind at all.
Anger idioms
4. Something that makes
your blood boil is
a. hot weather
b. boiling soup
c. people who are thoughtless
and unkind
8. I would scream bloody
murder when
a. I was frightened.
b. Someone was just
murdered.
c. I am livid.
12. I was so ticked off when
I missed the train.
a. I didn’t care.
b. It was my fault.
c. I was annoyed.
16. People who talk non-stop
get on my nerves.
a. I don’t like it.
b. My nerves are shot.
c. They make me nervous.
20. Steam was pouring out
of his ears.
a. He just drank hot coffee.
b. He’s really mad.
c. It’s a very hot day.

Choose all correct answers.
Explain why the other answers are wrong.
1. She drives me up a wall.
a. She climbs walls.
b. She makes me crazy.
c. She’s strange.
5. You tear your hair out
when
a. you hate your hairstyle
b. it’s very hot
c. when very frustrated
9. She went bananas when
she lost her passport.
a. She sells bananas.
b. She was very upset.
c. She bought bananas.
13. His dad was as mad as a
hornet.
a. There’s a nest of hornets at his
house.
b. He’s crazy not angry.
c. Look out! He’s fuming
17. That was the last straw.
a. We are out of straws.
b. I can’t take it any more.
c. That was way too much.
When would you say...
2. My boss blew his
stack/top when
a. I deleted the report.
b. I forgot his name.
c. I broke the photocopier.
6. You say – Don’t have a
cow to
a. a farmer who lost a cow
b. to someone who is upset about
nothing
c. when playing Farmville
10. When the worst team
wins that takes the cake.
a. the cake is the prize
b. it’s unfair
c. the team prefers cake to
winning a cup
14. His mom blew up when
she saw his report card.
a. She blew up balloons.
b. She was furious.
c. She didn’t mind.
18. I was beside myself with
worry.
a. I’m really worried.
b. I sat beside my friend.
c. I am not at all bothered.
3. I was hopping mad when
my best friend
a. stood me up
b. forgot my birthday
c. lost my i-Pod
7. Your father went ballistic,
because
a. He likes rockets.
b. He’s extremely angry.
c. He’s interested in outer
space.
11. When he loses in tennis,
he sees red.
a. He’s really upset.
b. He’s colorblind.
c. He gets like a bull when it
sees a red cape.
15. Noisy neighbors really
get my goat.
a. The neighbors took my
goat.
b. Goats are noisy too.
c. It bothers me a lot.
19. For crying out loud will
you be quiet.
a. Someone is making a lot of
noise.
b. I was crying loudly.
c. I don’t mind at all.
Anger idioms
4. Something that makes
your blood boil is
a. hot weather
b. boiling soup
c. people who are thoughtless
and unkind
8. I would scream bloody
murder when
a. I was frightened.
b. Someone was just
murdered.
c. I am livid.
12. I was so ticked off when
I missed the train.
a. I didn’t care.
b. It was my fault.
c. I was annoyed.
16. People who talk non-stop
get on my nerves.
a. I don’t like it.
b. My nerves are shot.
c. They make me nervous.
20. Steam was pouring out
of his ears.
a. He just drank hot coffee.
b. He’s really mad.
c. It’s a very hot day.

Choose all correct answers.
Explain why the other answers are wrong.
1. She drives me up a wall.
a. She climbs walls.
b. She makes me crazy.
c. She’s strange.
5. You tear your hair out
when
a. you hate your hairstyle
b. it’s very hot
c. when very frustrated
9. She went bananas when
she lost her passport.
a. She sells bananas.
b. She was very upset.
c. She bought bananas.
13. His dad was as mad as a
hornet.
a. There’s a nest of hornets at his
house.
b. He’s crazy not angry.
c. Look out! He’s fuming.
17. That was the last straw.
a. We are out of straws.
b. I can’t take it any more.
c. That was way too much.
When would you say...
2. My boss blew his
stack/top when
a. I deleted the report.
b. I forgot his name.
c. I broke the photocopier.
6. You say – Don’t have a
cow to
a. a farmer who lost a cow
b. to someone who is upset about
nothing
c. when playing Farmville
10. When the worst team
wins that takes the cake.
a. the cake is the prize
b. it’s unfair
c. the team prefers cake to
winning a cup
14. His mom blew up when
she saw his report card.
a. She blew up balloons.
b. She was furious.
c. She didn’t mind.
18. I was beside myself with
worry.
a. I’m really worried.
b. I sat beside my friend.
c. I am not at all bothered.
3. I was hopping mad when
my best friend
a. stood me up
b. forgot my birthday
c. lost my i-Pod
7. Your father went ballistic,
because
a. He likes rockets.
b. He’s extremely angry.
c. He’s interested in outer
space.
11. When he loses in tennis,
he sees red.
a. He’s really upset.
b. He’s colorblind.
c. He gets like a bull when it
sees a red cape.
15. Noisy neighbors really
get my goat.
a. The neighbors took my
goat.
b. Goats are noisy too.
c. It bothers me a lot.
19. For crying out loud will
you be quiet.
a. Someone is making a lot of
noise.
b. I was crying loudly.
c. I am very annoyed..
Anger idioms
4. Something that makes
your blood boil is
a. hot weather
b. boiling soup
c. people who are thoughtless
and unkind
8. I would scream bloody
murder when
a. I was frightened.
b. Someone was just
murdered.
c. I am livid.
12. I was so ticked off when
I missed the train.
a. I didn’t care.
b. It was my fault.
c. I was annoyed.
16. People who talk non-stop
get on my nerves.
a. I don’t like it.
b. My nerves are shot.
c. They make me nervous.
20. Steam was pouring out
of his ears.
a. He just drank hot coffee.
b. He’s very mad.
c. It’s a very hot day.
 List of anger idioms

MOST EXTREME LESS EXTREME

1. I blew my stack/my top

1. Don’t have a cow.
2. I was hopping mad

3. It makes my blood boil.

2. She went bananas.

4. I was tearing my hair out. 3. That takes the cake.

5. He went ballistic.
4. I was so ticked off.
6. She saw red.
5. That gets my goat.
7. I blew up.
6. She gets on my nerves.
8. He went off the deep end.

9. I was beside myself. 7. That’s the last straw,

10. Steam was pouring out of my ears. 8. Don’t have a conniption.

11. He was screaming bloody murder.
9. That drives me up a wall.
12. He was as mad as a hornet.
10.You know what bugs me. *
13. I’m at my wit’s end.

14. She hit the ceiling.

15. Steam was pouring out of his ears.

16. He was in a rage.

17. I am furious

18. I was enraged

19. I was livid