nose out of joint
1
9.2
- idiom
- Informal
:
ofendido
- Die-hard Brontë fans might find their noses out of joint at the alternate authorship suggestions.
- get your nose out of joint
Examples
-
They have been bold and occasionally put a few noses out of joint, but that's the price paid for thinking outside the box.
Blog text (12) -
"Well, come in now, but be sure not to get your noses out of joint.
Fiction book (1990) -
Mary Anne Telmin seemed to get her nose out of joint when he said that, but truthfully, he had not been impressed by her project.
Fiction book (1999) -
He was seldom in such a grumpy mood, and it was clear Hannah had put his nose out of joint.
Blog text (19) -
He was clearly annoyed after hearing the criticism; it seemed like someone had put his nose out of joint.
-
When she wasn't invited to the party, it really put her nose out of joint and she wouldn't stop complaining.
-
After being overlooked for the promotion, John's nose was out of joint, and he became distant with his coworkers.
Synonyms
19
8.4
Very upset about a small or unimportant thing
5
7.1
Very angry or annoyed because someone criticizes you
3
2.3
Feeling hurt because someone said or did something rude
1
9.7
Feeling annoyed and in a bad mood
Feeling hurt and angry because someone treated you badly
Feeling a little annoyed or upset in a childish way
Feeling upset, worried, or slightly annoyed by something
Showing quiet anger and annoyance by being silent
Antonyms
How Annoyed
Surface Forms
Morphology
nose + out + of + joint
Although the words 'nose' and the phrase 'out of joint' have clear literal meanings, the expression’s meaning ('offended' or 'annoyed') results from a metaphorical extension from physical dislocation to emotional upset. This figurative shift is not reliably predictable by an average B1 learner who merely knows the constituent words, so the expression is idiomatic and opaque.
Etymology
Nose out of joint may come from the image of a nose pushed out of its joint or moved out of place, so the face looks wrong and the person would feel sore or uncomfortable. That's why the phrase means 'annoyed or upset'.