What do You Mean by ‘Driving Someone Up the Wall’?

To drive someone up the wall means to make a person very angry or bored; to annoy or frustrate him.

The image here is of a person locked in a prison cell. He is being pestered by mice so much that he is forced to literally climb up and over the wall.

Thus, to drive up the wall means to annoy or frustrate someone excessively.

For example —

“I can’t stand him. He drives me up the wall whenever he interrupts me.”

It means I can’t tolerate him. He annoys me or infuriates me every time he interrupts.

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Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.