hot under the collar

Idioms  

1. Angry, as in She is quick to get hot under the collar, but once the problem is ironed out she forgets it entirely. This expression alludes to the heat of anger. [c. 1900]

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Example Sentences

“It’s difficult to look at it and not get very hot under the collar about it. That lack of transparency is what’s corrupt. It’s absolutely corrupt. That’s not too strong a word.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2023

“I never said a curse word or stood up or threatened anyone, but it was hot under the collar, and I regret that,” Dorph said.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 17, 2023

Until companies can deliver E.V.s in waves, a whole lot of consumers may also be hot under the collar.

From New York Times • Apr. 7, 2022

"I want to be very clear about this because a lot of people have got very hot under the collar," Johnson told broadcasters.

From Reuters • Feb. 3, 2022

People who flush easily become even more agitated when they feel themselves getting hot under the collar, and they quickly lose to their opponents.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank