# scrape someone off the ceiling

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/scrape-someone-off-the-ceiling
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Used to describe the response to someone who is either experiencing great pain, who is very frightened, or is very elated.

## Examples

- He was so excited that we had to scrape him off the ceiling.
- When she heard she won the lottery, she was so thrilled that we practically had to scrape her off the ceiling.
- Upon receiving the unexpected news of her promotion, her reaction was so ecstatic that her colleagues joked they would need to scrape her off the ceiling.

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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.