get me started on those kids

[LewisJian]

My 7 year old son was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder last year ...But he started falling behind significantly, to the point where classmates were calling him stupid. (Don't even get me stared on those kids.)

Hi,
What does the sentence in parenthesis mean? Thanks.

[Charlie Bernstein]

My seven-year-old son was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder last year ...But he started falling behind significantly, to the point where classmates were calling him stupid. (Don't even get me started on those kids.)

Hi,
What does the sentence in parenthesis mean? Thanks.

Hi, Lewis!

It's informal American English. (Maybe British, too. I'll let one of them confirm or deny.)

When we say "Don't get me started," it means that there is a lot we could say on the subject - more than you want to hear.

To rearrange it a little: "If I get started talking about those classmates, I'll lose my temper and rant. So do me a favor and don't get me started. Trust me, you don't want to listen to what would say."

The phrase "Don't even" is also tricky. It's highly idiomatic. Basically, it's a more forceful way of saying "don't." The parent could have said "Don't get me started," but chose "Don't even get me started" for added emphasis.

Good question. I hope that helps.

[jutfrank]

Yes, it's British, too. And all other varieties of English, I assume.

[GoesStation]

What does the sentence in parentheses mean? Thanks.

Note my correction above. The singular "parenthesis" refers to either "(" or ")". Its last syllable rhymes with "sit" and ends with an unvoiced s. The plural, whose last syllable sounds exactly like "ease", refers to more than one parenthesis.