🚪 Pushing Buttons: The Art of Triggering Emotions with Phrases 💣
Push someone’s buttons, to – To draw a strong emotional response from someone, usually negative. The term originated in the first half of the 1900s and has become a cliché. For example, “I said some negative things about the current administration and that really pushed Mary’s buttons—she exploded.”
Related and Similar Terms
- Rub the wrong way: To annoy or irritate someone.
- Get under someone’s skin: To irritate or provoke to the point of distraction.
- Hit a nerve: To evoke a strong emotional reaction, especially discomfort or pain.
- Touch a raw nerve: To upset someone by talking about a sensitive subject.
Common Phrases and Expressions
- On the warpath: In a state of anger or readiness to argue.
- Ruffle someone’s feathers: To do something that causes agitation or discomfort.
- Grind someone’s gears: To greatly irritate or upset someone.
- Get someone’s goat: To irritate someone greatly.
Synonyms
- Agitate
- Irritate
- Provoker
- Vex
- Annoy
Antonyms
- Soothe
- Calm
- Pacify
- Comfort
- Reassure
Humor-filled Quotes
“If you know how to push my buttons, at least I’m not a vending machine.” – W. T. Wittywords
“Pushing someone’s buttons can be fun—that is until they hit the eject!” – Unny Umberger
Proverbs
- “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
- “Speak when you are angry—and you will make the best speech you’ll ever regret.” – Ambrose Bierce
Literary References
- Books: “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.
- Songs: “Don’t Push My Buttons” by a fictional ‘Idiom Authority Band’.
- Movies: “Anger Management” featuring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson.
### Which of these is a real idiom?
- [x] Push someone's buttons
- [ ] Press on the kittens
- [ ] Flew the honeycomb
- [ ] Shook the moon drops
> **Explanation:** "Push someone's buttons" is a genuine idiom meaning to provoke someone emotionally. The rest are nonsensical, albeit whimsical.
### Which expression means to greatly irritate someone?
- [ ] Serenade someone's soul
- [x] Get under someone's skin
- [ ] Paint the roses red
- [ ] Tickle someone's toes
> **Explanation:** "Get under someone's skin" truly refers to greatly irritating someone. The others are just amusing concoctions of words.
### True or False: 'Ruffle someone's feathers' is an idiom
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** Very true! "Ruffle someone's feathers" denotes causing irritation or disturbance.
Farewell Thought: “Mastering the finesse of verbal exchanges can lead to a life rich in understanding and harmony, where we learn not just to push buttons but also to pull each other up.”
— Emma C. Language
