# fly off the handle

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/fly-off-the-handle
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To become very angry or enraged; to throw a fit or go crazy.

## Examples

- Please do not fly off the handle over such a small mistake.
- My boss tends to fly off the handle whenever a project deadline is missed by even a few hours.
- Despite his usual composure, the senator began to fly off the handle when the reporter questioned the integrity of his campaign finances.

## Origin

From the image of an axe head becoming loose and suddenly flying free of its handle, a vivid metaphor for losing control. The phrase is an early 19th-century American idiom, with printed examples first appearing c. the 1810s–1830s. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.