# get one's shirt out

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/get-ones-shirt-out
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To become angry or annoyed; to lose one's temper.

## Examples

- Don't get your shirt out over such a small mistake.
- She gets her shirt out when the bus arrives late.
- He tends to get his shirt out whenever someone criticizes his work during the meeting.
- My neighbor usually gets his shirt out if the local children play music too loudly near his garden on Sunday mornings.
- You should avoid bringing up the budget right now because the director might get his shirt out before you finish the presentation.
- The manager warned the team that he would get his shirt out if they failed to meet the deadline for the third time this month.

## Origin

The idiom arises from the practical custom of removing one's shirt before engaging in a physical altercation, a gesture typically performed after one had become sufficiently annoyed. The removal of the garment served both to preserve the cloth from damage and to deny an opponent a convenient handhold during the ensuing struggle. The phrase remains a linguistic artifact of the moment formal disagreement transitioned into manual labour.

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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.