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[0838] Crack the shits

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English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • Vulgar Australian and New Zealand slang meaning to suddenly become very angry, annoyed, or irritable; to lose one's temper or have a tantrum.

Origin

  • Shits is vulgar slang for diarrhea. Metaphorically, having the shits can mean being in a foul mood, agitated, or (in some contexts) scared.
  • Crack suggests a sudden break or onset.
  • So, crack the shits means to suddenly enter a state of extreme annoyance or anger, like having a sudden bout of agitation.
  • Likely emerged in the latter half of the 20th century.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Lose one's temper, get angry, fly off the handle, hit the roof / hit the ceiling, blow a fuse / blow one's top, have a fit / throw a fit, have a tantrum.
  • (Aus/NZ slang): Chuck a wobbly / throw a wobbly, spit the dummy (implies childish tantrum).
  • (Informal/Vulgar): Get pissed off, lose one's shit, go ballistic, go apeshit, flip out.

Alternatives

Slang/Informal (Less Vulgar):

  • Lose it / Lost it
  • Flip out / Flipped out
  • Get pissed (UK/Aus/NZ = angry; US = drunk) / Get pissed off (Universal = angry)
  • Fly off the handle
  • Hit the roof / Hit the ceiling
  • Blow up / Blew up
  • Go mental (UK/Aus/NZ)
  • Spit the dummy (Aus/NZ childish anger)
  • Chuck/Throw a wobbly (UK/Aus/NZ have a tantrum)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Go fucking ballistic
  • Lose one's shit
  • Go apeshit
  • Fly into a fucking rage

Milder/Standard:

  • Get angry / Become angry
  • Get annoyed / Become annoyed
  • Lose one's temper
  • Become furious / Become enraged
  • Have an outburst

Situational Appropriateness

  • Highly informal, vulgar slang.
  • Use only in very casual settings among close friends or peers who are comfortable with coarse language.
  • Absolutely avoid in formal, professional, polite company, or any situation where vulgarity is inappropriate. It's offensive to many.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Highly vulgar and geographically specific. Will likely offend or confuse people unfamiliar with the expression.
  • The literal imagery related to shits is unpleasant and contributes to its vulgarity.

Examples

  • Dad cracked the shits when he saw the dent in his car.
  • Try not to be late again, or the boss might crack the shits.
  • I completely cracked the shits when my computer crashed and I lost all my work.

Dialogue

Ben: How did the meeting with the client go?

Anna: Not great. They found a mistake in the figures, and their CEO cracked the shits.

Ben: Oh mate, seriously? What happens now?

Anna: We have to fix it by tomorrow morning, or we could lose the contract.

Social Media Examples

  • Private message: Dude you won't believe it, my landlord cracked the shits cos the lawn was 1cm too long.
  • Humorous Tweet (Aus/NZ context): The coffee machine is broken this morning. Pretty sure half the office is about to crack the shits. Send caffeine! ☕️ #WorkLife #MondayMood

Response Patterns

  • If someone has cracked the shits: Attempting to calm them, avoiding them, expressing surprise (Wow!), commenting on the anger (He really lost it).
  • If warned someone might crack the shits: Taking heed (Okay, I'll be careful.), expressing concern (Oh dear.).

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • Asking about the cause of the anger (What set him off?).
  • Discussing the angry person's reaction.
  • Avoiding the angry person or trying to mitigate the situation.

Conversation Starter

  • No. Describes a reaction or warns about a potential reaction.

Intonation

  • The phrase describes an angry outburst. When reporting it, the speaker's tone might be neutral, dramatic, amused, or warning.
  • Stress usually falls on crack and shits.
  • He absolutely CRACKED the SHITS.

Generation Differences

  • Used across various generations in Australia and New Zealand where slang is common, perhaps more prevalent among working-class speakers or younger to middle-aged adults in informal settings.

Regional Variations

  • Primarily Australian and New Zealand English slang. Unlikely to be understood or used elsewhere.
She'll be right
🎲 No worries