
Originally Posted by
vil
Dear teachers,
Not long ago, I read a few sentences with a new idiom for me, namely:
"My father blew his lid when I had an accident with his car."
"Peter's father blew his lid when he heard about his poor grades."
"Sweet Lou blew his lid yesterday. Even though I lost my bet, I was close though. I thought he'd have his first outburst after the 10th game."
"New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan blew his lid at the media on Wednesday, taking exception to a question by one journalist regarding his comments earlier in the week about teammate Plaxico Burnen."
In the first two examples, which were from a grammar-test (about.com) I
grasped the meaning of the expression "blow his lid" as " become very angry".
I know so far, that:
blow a fuse = to explode with anger
blow one's mind = to affect with intense emotion, such as amazment, excitement, or shock.
blow one's top = to lose one's temper
I know that there is another expression:
take your lid / flip your lid = to become crazy (Vil, 'take your lid' is not common usage. 'Flip your lid' is common usage.))
or
blow /take the lid off something= to cause something bad that was previously kept secret to be known by the public
or
blow the lid off , also blow wide open = expose, especially a scandal or illegal activity
Would you tell me whether this idiom "blow his lid" is a common occurrence in English language? Yes, individuals frequently become angry and will 'blow their lids'.
Does it is a body idiom or "lid" is a cover or a top in this case? ("Is it an idiom describing a body part, or is it a cover or a top in this case?") Vil, visualize a cartoon character who is so angry that his head explodes. 'Blow your lid' is a figure of speech that means the same thing.
Thank you in advance for your efforts.
Keep up the good work! I enjoy your questions and clear-headed reasoning!
V.