Rub someone the wrong way

[0507] Get under someone's skin

🎲 Bite someone's head off
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • To annoy, irritate, or bother someone intensely and persistently.
  • Can also mean to affect someone deeply emotionally, sometimes in a way they find unsettling or can't ignore, not always just annoyance (e.g., a song gets under your skin). However, the annoyance meaning is more common.

Origin

  • The metaphor suggests something invasive and irritating penetrating the surface (skin) and causing persistent discomfort, like a splinter, parasite, or insect bite.
  • It implies an irritation that's hard to ignore or shake off. Popularized in the 20th century.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Annoy intensely / Irritate greatly
  • Infuriate / Exasperate
  • Get on someone's last nerve
  • Drive someone crazy / nuts / mad
  • Rub someone the wrong way (usually less intense)
  • Rankle (to cause persistent irritation or resentment)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Piss me off (Vulgar strong annoyance)
  • Drive me crazy / nuts / bananas / up the wall
  • Wind me up (UK annoy, provoke)
  • Get my goat (annoy or anger me)
  • Really bug me / Bug the shit out of me (Vulgar)
  • Push my buttons (provoke intentionally)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Really fucking gets under my skin.
  • Pisses me the fuck off.
  • Gets on my very last fucking nerve.

Milder/Standard:

  • Greatly annoy / Deeply irritate
  • Exasperate
  • Infuriate (stronger than annoy)
  • Trouble someone / Disturb someone (emotional impact meaning)

Situational Appropriateness

  • Informal to semi-formal.
  • Conveys a stronger level of irritation or emotional effect than rub someone the wrong way.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • The meaning is figurative; it does not involve literal physical penetration.
  • Clarify that it means to deeply annoy or affect emotionally.

Examples

  • His constant negativity really gets under my skin.
  • She knows exactly what to say to get under his skin during an argument.
  • That movie's ending really got under my skin; I can't stop thinking about it. (emotional impact meaning)

Dialogue

Kevin: You seem really agitated after talking to Sam.

Laura: Ugh, I know! I try to stay calm, but his smug comments just get under my skin every single time!

Kevin: Yeah, he definitely knows how to push people's buttons. Deep breaths!

Social Media Examples

  • Tweet: People who are deliberately cruel online just get under my skin. Why be like that? #negativity #bekind
  • Facebook Post: That haunting melody from the film really got under my skin. Beautiful but sad.
  • Blog Post Title: Politicians Who Get Under Your Skin: How to Stay Informed Without Losing Your Cool

Response Patterns

  • Sympathy/Understanding (Oh man, that sounds frustrating, I can see why that would bother you).
  • Agreement (Tell me about it! He gets under my skin too).
  • Inquiry (What is it that bothers you so much?).
  • Advice (Try not to let him get to you, Just ignore it).

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • Venting further about the source of irritation.
  • Discussing specific instances of the annoying behavior.
  • Seeking strategies to cope with or ignore the person/situation.

Conversation Starter

  • No.
  • Describes a strong feeling of annoyance or being affected emotionally.

Intonation

  • Emphasis on under and skin.
  • He just gets UNDER my SKIN!

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood and used across generations.

Regional Variations

  • Common in most English-speaking regions.
Rub someone the wrong way
🎲 Bite someone's head off