blow a fuse

Idioms and Phrases

Also, blow a gasket . Lose one's temper, express furious anger. For example, When his paycheck bounced, John blew a fuse , or Tell Mom what really happened before she blows a gasket . An electric fuse is said to “blow” (melt) when the circuit is overloaded, whereas a gasket, used to seal a piston, “blows” (breaks) when the pressure is too high. The first of these slangy terms dates from the 1930s, the second from the 1940s. Also see blow one's top ; keep one's cool .

Related Words

• blow up
• boil over
• erupt
• rampage
• roar
• seethe
• tear