to fly off the handle
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To fly into a rage, or lose one's head, as the head of an axe might fly dangerously off its shaft.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to fly off the handle” mean?
To fly into a rage, or lose one's head, as the head of an axe might fly dangerously off its shaft.
Is “to fly off the handle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.