Get under someone's skin

[0508] Bite someone's head off

🎲 Butt heads
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • To respond to someone with sudden, disproportionate, and often unfair anger or sharp criticism.
  • Implies an overly aggressive verbal reaction to something minor or reasonable.

Origin

  • A graphic and hyperbolic metaphor comparing a sudden, angry verbal attack to a vicious animal literally biting off someone's head.
  • Emphasizes the shocking and excessive nature of the anger. In use since at least the late 19th century.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Snap at someone
  • Lash out at someone
  • Yell at someone / Shout at someone
  • Lose one's temper with someone
  • Jump down someone's throat
  • Fly off the handle at someone
  • Chew someone out (scold angrily, less sudden)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Snap at someone
  • Go off on someone (have an angry outburst directed at someone)
  • Lose it with someone / Flip out on someone
  • Chew someone out / Rip someone a new one (scold severely, often implies more duration than a snap)
  • Jump down someone's throat
  • Lay into someone (criticize angrily)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Fucking lost it at me. / Went ballistic on me.
  • Chewed my fucking head off.
  • Ripped me a new asshole. (Vulgar scolded very severely)

Milder/Standard:

  • Speak angrily / sharply to someone
  • Respond harshly to someone
  • Berate someone
  • Scold someone
  • Lose one's temper with someone

Situational Appropriateness

  • Informal.
  • Used to describe or complain about someone's excessive anger. Clearly indicates the reaction was overly aggressive and inappropriate.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Highly figurative and hyperbolic. Learners must understand it refers only to a verbal outburst, not physical violence. The intensity implies *extreme* anger in the response.

Examples

  • I just asked if he needed help, and he totally bit my head off!
  • Woah, calm down! No need to bite my head off.
  • Be careful what you say to the boss today; he's in a mood to bite someone's head off.

Dialogue

Student A: Did you ask Professor Davis about an extension on the paper?

Student B: I tried! But I barely got the question out before she bit my head off about time management.

Student A: Ouch! Seriously? That's rough. She must be really stressed.

Student B: Tell me about it. I'm almost scared to go to office hours now.

Social Media Examples

  • Tweet: Asked a coworker a simple question and they practically bit my head off. Happy Monday to me too! 🙃 #worklife #mondays
  • Facebook Vent: Just needed some help, no need to bite my head off! Some people need anger management.
  • Meme: Picture of an angry animal (like a chihuahua) with text Don't talk to me before coffee or I might bite your head off.

Response Patterns

  • Shock/Surprise (Wow, really?, What did you do/say?, That's harsh!).
  • Sympathy (Oh no, that's awful, You didn't deserve that).
  • Defense/Justification (if directed at the speaker): Hey! I was just asking!
  • Caution/Warning (Okay, okay, I get it, Easy there).

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • Explaining the context – what was said or done just before the outburst.
  • Expressing feelings of being hurt, shocked, or unfairly treated.
  • Speculating on why the person reacted so angrily (e.g., Maybe they're having a bad day?).

Conversation Starter

  • No.
  • Describes a specific instance of an angry outburst.

Intonation

  • Strong emphasis on bite and head off.
  • He nearly BIT my HEAD OFF!

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood across generations.

Regional Variations

  • Common in most English-speaking regions.
Get under someone's skin
🎲 Butt heads