What does it Mean to ‘Fly off the Handle’?

To fly off the handle means to lose self-control or to suddenly become extremely angry.

This phrase is said to have taken its meaning from the poorly made ax in olden times. Sometimes, while swinging the ax, the loose ax-head would fly off its handle and could damage something or someone fatally.

Here, the wooden handle signifies control, and the metal head represents the temper. Thus, to “fly off the handle” is to lose your temper or to suddenly behave in an angry or violent manner.

For e.g. —

“The professor flew off the handle when the student couldn’t answer a simple question.”

It means that the professor became extremely angry or furious when the student couldn’t answer a simple question.

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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.