😡 Blowing a Fuse: The Art of Losing Your Cool ⚡
Blow one’s top/stack/fuse, to - To lose one’s temper. The first two terms allude to clearing the stack of a ship by blowing air through it; the last refers to the sudden power stoppage when a fuse blows. All are slang from the first half of the twentieth century. Jane Smiley wrote in Horse Heaven (2000), “‘It’s kind of fun in a way. At least I get to blow my stack a lot and they don’t mind. Blowing your stack is the way they do things here.’”
Synonyms and Similar Expressions
- Lose one’s cool
- Fly off the handle
- Hit the roof
- See red
- Flip one’s lid
- Go ballistic
Antonyms
- Keep one’s cool
- Stay composed
- Maintain equilibrium
Related Proverbs and Quotes
- “He who angers you, conquers you.” - Elizabeth Kenny
- “For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Literary and Cultural References
- Horse Heaven (2000) by Jane Smiley
- Anger by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Pixar’s Inside Out (2015), featuring Anger as a character
Intriguing and Engaging Titles
- 🎭 “Hot Under the Collar: Tales of Tempestuous Times”
- 🌩️ “The Storm Within: Weathering Emotional Outbursts”
- 💢 “Boiling Over: Learning to Tame the Temper Tornado”
Inspirational Thought
“Anger is fleeting, but the damage it causes can last a lifetime. Choose to channel that energy into something positive and let calmness be your superpower.”
– Vivian Vexword
Quizzes
### Which of these idioms means to lose one's temper?
- [x] Blow one’s fuse
- [ ] Break a leg
- [ ] Shoot the breeze
- [ ] Paint the town red
> **Explanation:** "Blow one’s fuse" refers to losing one's temper, much like a fuse blows and stops the current flow, causing sudden disruption.
### Which saying is synonymous with losing your temper?
- [ ] A penny saved is a penny earned
- [x] Fly off the handle
- [ ] Couch potato
- [ ] Fit as a fiddle
> **Explanation:** "Fly off the handle" means to lose one's temper abruptly.
### What does “blowing your stack” mean?
- [x] Losing one’s temper
- [ ] Celebrating a victory
- [ ] Cooking a meal
- [ ] Cleaning your house
> **Explanation:** "Blowing your stack" is akin to losing one’s temper, it's like a ship clearing its stack with a burst of air—sudden and powerful.
### True or False: 'Hit the roof' is an idiom meaning to stay calm
- [ ] True
- [x] False
> **Explanation:** False. "Hit the roof" means to become very angry very quickly.
