get someone's back up

Idioms and Phrases

Also, get someone's dander up ; put or set someone's back up . Make angry, as in Bill's arrogance really got my back up , or The foolish delays at the bank only put her back up . Get one's back up and get one's dander up mean “become angry,” as in Martha is quick to get her dander up . The back in these phrases alludes to a cat arching its back when annoyed, and put and set were the earliest verbs used in this idiom, dating from the 1700s; get is more often heard today. The origin of dander , used since the early 1800s, is disputed; a likely theory is that it comes from the Dutch donder , for “thunder.” Also see get someone's goat ; raise one's hackles .