ENGLISH
REFERENCE

go bananas

idiom
Meaning

To get angry; to go mad.


Origin

disputed origin

From bananas (“crazy”).

Examples
SIMPLE

My boss will go bananas if we miss this deadline.

CONTEXTUAL

When the fans saw their favorite band walk onto the stage, they went bananas and started cheering loudly.

COMPLEX

The manager went bananas upon discovering that the entire inventory had been misplaced, shouting at the staff until the office fell into a tense, uncomfortable silence.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all dressed up and nowhere to go

    Elaborately attired or otherwise fully prepared for an anticipated situation or activity which, nevertheless, fails to occur.

  2. 02

    all systems go

    Everything is ready.

  3. 03

    as you go

    While one is doing (something); as one progresses.

  4. 04

    banana nose

    A large, unusually long nose.

  5. 05

    banana republic

    A small country, especially one in Central America or the West Indies, that is dependent on a single export commodity (traditionally bananas) and that has a corrupt, dictatorial government.

  6. 06

    boldly go where no man has gone before

    To break new ground.

  7. 07

    come and go

    To repeatedly appear and disappear; to be transient.

  8. 08

    don't go there

    Do not broach that topic.

Last updated April 17, 2026