English Explanatory Dictionary

get someone's goat

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To annoy or infuriate someone.

Pronunciation

/ˌɡɛt ˈsʌmwʌnz ˈɡəʊt/ /ˌɡɛt ˈsʌmwʌnz ˈɡoʊt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-get someone's goat.wav

Word forms

get someone's goat gets someone's goat getting someone's goat got someone's goat gotten someone's goat

Etymology

Uncertain; it has been suggested that the term may be derived from French prendre la chèvre (literally “to take the goat”), or refer to the stealing of a goat mascot from a military unit, etc.

Synonyms

get someone's nanny get someone's nanny-goat get under one's goat give someone the shits aggravate annoy nettle rankle ruffle sting antagonize bother disgruntle botherate bug get grate burn up bedevil cheese off devil exasperate frustrate get up grotch hack off hassle irk irritate jazz molest mommick nark nerve pee off peeve persecute pique piss off provoke rile rile up roil storm test someone's patience tick off trouble try one's patience vex wind up Idioms: boil someone's piss chap someone's hide get on someone's nerves get on someone's tits get on someone's wick get someone's back up get someone's dander up get someone's goat get someone's Irish up
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