Choose all correct answers.
Explain why the other answers are wrong.
1. She drives me up a
wall.
a. She climbs walls.
b. She makes me crazy.
c. She’s strange.
5. You tear your hair
out when
a. you hate your hairstyle
b. it’s very hot
c. when very frustrated
9. She went bananas
when she lost her
passport.
a. She sells bananas.
b. She was very upset.
c. She bought bananas.
13. His dad was as mad
as a hornet.
a. There’s a nest of hornets
at his house.
b. He’s crazy not angry.
c. Look out! He’s fuming.
17. That was the last
straw.
a. We are out of straws.
b. I can’t take it any more.
c. That was way too much.
2. My boss blew his
stack/top when
a. I deleted the report.
b. I forgot his name.
c. I broke the photocopier.
6. You say – Don’t have a
cow to
a. a farmer who lost a cow
b. to someone who is upset
about nothing
c. when playing Farmville
10. When the worst team
wins that takes the cake.
a. the cake is the prize
b. it’s unfair
c. the team prefers cake to
winning a cup
14. His mom blew up when
she saw his report card.
a. She blew up balloons.
b. She was furious.
c. She didn’t mind.
18. I was beside myself
with worry.
a. I’m really worried.
b. I sat beside my friend.
c. I am not at all bothered.
3. I was hopping mad
when my best friend
a. stood me up
b. forgot my birthday
c. lost my i-Pod
7. Your father went
ballistic, because
a. He likes rockets.
b. He’s extremely angry.
c. He’s interested in
outer space.
11. When he loses in
tennis, he sees red.
a. He’s really upset.
b. He’s colorblind.
c. He gets like a bull when
it sees a red cape.
15. Noisy neighbors really
get my goat.
a. The neighbors took my
goat.
b. Goats are noisy too.
c. It bothers me a lot.
19. For crying out loud
will you be quiet.
a. Someone is making a
lot of noise.
b. I was crying loudly.
c. I don’t mind at all.
Anger idioms
4. Something that makes
your blood boil is
a. hot weather
b. boiling soup
c. people who are
thoughtless and unkind
8. I would scream bloody
murder when
a. I was frightened.
b. Someone was just
murdered.
c. I am livid.
12. I was so ticked off
when I missed the train.
a. I didn’t care.
b. It was my fault.
c. I was annoyed.
16. People who talk non-
stop get on my nerves.
a. I don’t like it.
b. My nerves are shot.
c. They make me nervous.
20. Steam was pouring
out of his ears.
a. He just drank hot
coffee.
b. He’s really mad.
c. It’s a very hot day.
 Choose all correct answers.
Explain why the other answers are wrong.
1. She drives me up a
wall.
a. She climbs walls.
b. She makes me crazy.
c. She’s strange.
5. You tear your hair
out when
a. you hate your hairstyle
b. it’s very hot
c. when very frustrated
9. She went bananas
when she lost her
passport.
a. She sells bananas.
b. She was very upset.
c. She bought bananas.
13. His dad was as mad
as a hornet.
a. There’s a nest of hornets
at his house.
b. He’s crazy not angry.
c. Look out! He’s fuming
17. That was the last
straw.
a. We are out of straws.
b. I can’t take it any more.
c. That was way too much.
2. My boss blew his
stack/top when
a. I deleted the report.
b. I forgot his name.
c. I broke the photocopier.
6. You say – Don’t have a
cow to
a. a farmer who lost a cow
b. to someone who is upset
about nothing
c. when playing Farmville
10. When the worst team
wins that takes the cake.
a. the cake is the prize
b. it’s unfair
c. the team prefers cake to
winning a cup
14. His mom blew up when
she saw his report card.
a. She blew up balloons.
b. She was furious.
c. She didn’t mind.
18. I was beside myself
with worry.
a. I’m really worried.
b. I sat beside my friend.
c. I am not at all bothered.
3. I was hopping mad
when my best friend
a. stood me up
b. forgot my birthday
c. lost my i-Pod
7. Your father went
ballistic, because
a. He likes rockets.
b. He’s extremely angry.
c. He’s interested in
outer space.
11. When he loses in
tennis, he sees red.
a. He’s really upset.
b. He’s colorblind.
c. He gets like a bull when
it sees a red cape.
15. Noisy neighbors really
get my goat.
a. The neighbors took my
goat.
b. Goats are noisy too.
c. It bothers me a lot.
19. For crying out loud
will you be quiet.
a. Someone is making a
lot of noise.
b. I was crying loudly.
c. I don’t mind at all.
Anger idioms
4. Something that makes
your blood boil is
a. hot weather
b. boiling soup
c. people who are
thoughtless and unkind
8. I would scream bloody
murder when
a. I was frightened.
b. Someone was just
murdered.
c. I am livid.
12. I was so ticked off
when I missed the train.
a. I didn’t care.
b. It was my fault.
c. I was annoyed.
16. People who talk non-
stop get on my nerves.
a. I don’t like it.
b. My nerves are shot.
c. They make me nervous.
20. Steam was pouring
out of his ears.
a. He just drank hot
coffee.
b. He’s really mad.
c. It’s a very hot day.
 Choose all correct answers.
Explain why the other answers are wrong.
1. She drives me up a
wall.
a. She climbs walls.
b. She makes me crazy.
c. She’s strange.
5. You tear your hair
out when
a. you hate your hairstyle
b. it’s very hot
c. when very frustrated
9. She went bananas
when she lost her
passport.
a. She sells bananas.
b. She was very upset.
c. She bought bananas.
13. His dad was as mad
as a hornet.
a. There’s a nest of hornets
at his house.
b. He’s crazy not angry.
c. Look out! He’s fuming.
17. That was the last
straw.
a. We are out of straws.
b. I can’t take it any more.
c. That was way too much.
2. My boss blew his
stack/top when
a. I deleted the report.
b. I forgot his name.
c. I broke the photocopier.
6. You say – Don’t have a
cow to
a. a farmer who lost a cow
b. to someone who is upset
about nothing
c. when playing Farmville
10. When the worst team
wins that takes the cake.
a. the cake is the prize
b. it’s unfair
c. the team prefers cake to
winning a cup
14. His mom blew up when
she saw his report card.
a. She blew up balloons.
b. She was furious.
c. She didn’t mind.
18. I was beside myself
with worry.
a. I’m really worried.
b. I sat beside my friend.
c. I am not at all bothered.
3. I was hopping mad
when my best friend
a. stood me up
b. forgot my birthday
c. lost my i-Pod
7. Your father went
ballistic, because
a. He likes rockets.
b. He’s extremely angry.
c. He’s interested in
outer space.
11. When he loses in
tennis, he sees red.
a. He’s really upset.
b. He’s colorblind.
c. He gets like a bull when
it sees a red cape.
15. Noisy neighbors really
get my goat.
a. The neighbors took my
goat.
b. Goats are noisy too.
c. It bothers me a lot.
19. For crying out loud
will you be quiet.
a. Someone is making a
lot of noise.
b. I was crying loudly.
c. I am very annoyed..
Anger idioms
4. Something that makes
your blood boil is
a. hot weather
b. boiling soup
c. people who are
thoughtless and unkind
8. I would scream bloody
murder when
a. I was frightened.
b. Someone was just
murdered.
c. I am livid.
12. I was so ticked off
when I missed the train.
a. I didn’t care.
b. It was my fault.
c. I was annoyed.
16. People who talk non-
stop get on my nerves.
a. I don’t like it.
b. My nerves are shot.
c. They make me nervous.
20. Steam was pouring
out of his ears.
a. He just drank hot
coffee.
b. He’s very mad.
c. It’s a very hot day.
 List of anger idioms

MOST EXTREME LESS EXTREME

1. I blew my stack/my top

1. Don’t have a cow.
2. I was hopping mad
2. She went bananas.
3. It makes my blood boil.

4. I was tearing my hair out. 3. That takes the cake.

5. He went ballistic. 4. I was so ticked off.

6. She saw red.
5. That gets my goat.
7. I blew up.
6. She gets on my nerves.
8. He went off the deep end.

9. I was beside myself. 7. That’s the last straw,

10. Steam was pouring out of my ears. 8. Don’t have a conniption.

11. He was screaming bloody murder.
9. That drives me up a wall.
12. He was as mad as a hornet.
10.You know what bugs me. *
13. I’m at my wit’s end.

14. She hit the ceiling.

15. Steam was pouring out of his ears.

16. He was in a rage.

17. I am furious

18. I was enraged

19. I was livid