get someone's goat

English

WOTD – 18 July 2019

Etymology

Origin 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.[1]

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɡɛt ˈsʌmwʌnz ˈɡəʊt/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɡɛt ˈsʌmwʌnz ˈɡoʊt/
Hyphenation: get some‧one's goat

Verb

get someone's goat (third-person singular simple present gets someone's goat, present participle getting someone's got, simple past got someone's goat, past participle got someone's goat or (North American and regional Britain) gotten someone's goat)

(informal) To annoy or infuriate someone.
Synonyms: get someone's nanny, get someone's nanny-goat, give someone the shits (Australia, colloquial, vulgar); see also Thesaurus:annoy, Thesaurus:enrage

It really gets my goat when inconsiderate people drop litter in public.

Translations

to annoy or infuriate someone — See also translations at annoy,‎ infuriate

French: courir sur le haricot (fr)

Spanish: dar la tabarra, hacer la puñeta, sacar la piedra (es)

References

“goat” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019; “Get one’s goat” in Michael Quinion, World Wide Words, created 26 June 1999, last updated 3 December 2014.

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[1] “goat” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019; “Get one’s goat” in Michael Quinion, World Wide Words, created 26 June 1999, last updated 3 December 2014.