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Glite Dictionary
to flip one's wig

to flip one's wig

9.9
To suddenly become very angry and lose control of yourself
  • idiom
  • Informal
: perder los estribos
  • When she found out he had lied to her, she completely flipped her wig and started yelling.

Examples

Synonyms

to lose it
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
326 7.5

Suddenly stop controlling your feelings and become very angry or upset

is sudden anger that still implies clear loss of temper but framed differently
to flip
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
100 7.5

To suddenly become very angry, excited, or surprised

is sudden anger that centers on anger and losing temper specifically
to blow up
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
66 4.7

To suddenly become very angry and lose control

is sudden anger that may or may not be loudly expressed
to flip out
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
63 7.2

To suddenly lose control and become very angry or upset

is sudden anger that focuses specifically on losing temper rather than other strong feelings
to go berserk
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
32 7.7

To become very angry and act out of control

is sudden anger that may lack violent or wild behaviour
to go ballistic
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
29 7.5

Suddenly become very angry

is sudden anger that may be less violently furious in tone
to have a fit
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
28 5.3

To suddenly become very angry or upset and show it strongly

is sudden anger that highlights losing temper more than the display
to wig out
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
19 9.2

React with strong fear or excitement and lose control

is sudden anger that focuses more narrowly on anger than panic
to throw a fit
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
18 6.1

To suddenly become very angry or upset in a loud, obvious way

is sudden anger that may be less dramatic or visible to others
to throw a tantrum
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
15 4.4

To show sudden strong anger or upset, often like a child

is sudden anger that focuses on losing emotional control rather than childishness
to pop off
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
8 8.1

To suddenly say something angry without warning

is sudden anger that may not include speaking out loudly
to fly off
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
8 5.3

To suddenly get very angry without warning

is sudden anger that can include both loss of control and clear causes
to fly off the handle
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
8 6.8

To suddenly become very angry

is sudden anger that includes loss of control but not only surprise
to blow a fuse
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
6 7.4

To suddenly become very angry

is sudden anger that can include loss of control but not only rage
to hit the roof
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
4 6.7

To suddenly become very angry

is sudden anger that may not always reach a dramatic peak
to flip shit
vsto flip one's wig
  • Offensive
3 9.9

To suddenly become very angry

is sudden anger that can be intense but not always abrupt in onset
to combust
vsto flip one's wig
2 8.2

To become suddenly very angry and lose control

is sudden anger that is more literal and immediate rather than figurative
to go batshit
vsto flip one's wig
  • Offensive
2 9.9

To become very angry and act in a wild, out of control way

is sudden anger that may be less about irrational craziness
to hit the ceiling
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
1 6.8

To suddenly get very angry

is sudden anger that shares quickness but not always the visible peak
to flip your lid
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
1 8.6

To suddenly become very angry and lose control

is sudden anger that stresses explosive reaction rather than general loss of control
to lose one's shit
vsto flip one's wig
  • Offensive
1 9.9

To suddenly become very angry or upset in a way you cannot control

is sudden anger or upset that is less crude or vulgar in tone
to have kittens
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
1 8.8

Become very upset or angry in a way that is too strong

is sudden anger that is more strictly about anger than anxiety
to lose one's temper
vsto flip one's wig
1 3.7

To suddenly become very angry and not be able to control yourself

is sudden anger that stresses emotional loss rather than only lack of control
to go into a tizzy
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
1 8.3

Get very upset and confused quickly

is sudden anger that centers more on anger than confusion
to throw a wobbly
vsto flip one's wig
  • UK
1 9.9

To become suddenly very angry and upset in a dramatic way

is sudden anger that can be similar but more neutral in register
to throw a snit
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
1 8.7

To suddenly become very angry or upset and act childishly

is sudden anger that is more general and not necessarily childish
to lose one's cool
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
1 5.9

To suddenly become very angry and fail to control your feelings

is sudden anger that may be less tied specifically to stress triggers
to flip the bitch switch
vsto flip one's wig
  • Offensive
9.9

To suddenly become very angry and behave in a mean way

is sudden anger that may not necessarily involve aggression
to blow one's top
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
8.0

To suddenly become very angry

is sudden anger that includes loss of control but not necessarily loud display
to hit the bitch switch
vsto flip one's wig
  • Offensive
9.9

To suddenly become very angry and act aggressive

is sudden anger that may not always be aggressive or confrontational
to blow one's stack
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
8.6

Suddenly get very angry and show it

is sudden anger that sometimes feels slightly less extreme in wording
to flip one's lid
vsto flip one's wig
  • Informal
9.1

To become suddenly very angry and lose control

is sudden anger or upset that stresses losing emotional control rather than expression

Antonyms

to keep one's temper
1 4.4

Stay calm and not get angry in a difficult situation

to keep one's cool
  • Informal
1 3.4

Stay calm and control your feelings when things are hard

How Angry

to go ballistic
  • Informal
29 7.5
to flip one's wig
  • Informal
9.9
to anger
103 1.0

Surface Forms

flip one's wig infinitive
flipped one's wig past
flipped one's wig past participle
flipping one's wig present participle
flips one's wig third person singular

Morphology

flip + one's + wig

There is a loose, partly transparent link: 'flip' signals a sudden change or loss of control and 'wig' evokes something on the head, so the phrase metaphorically suggests a sudden loss of composure. However the specific sense 'become extremely angry/upset' is idiomatic and not directly predictable from the literal meanings of the parts, so an average B1 learner who knows the constituents would likely not reliably infer the exact meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

The idiom flip one's wig comes from a simple picture: one popular story says that when someone wore a wig, a sudden motion could flip it off their head and show they had lost control. That's why the phrase now means 'to become very angry' or 'to lose control'.