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Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

feather up his arse

English answer:

irritated or annoyed

Added to glossary by S.J
Mar 25, 2022 03:47
2 yrs ago
42 viewers *
English term

feather up his arse

Non-PRO May offend English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters feather up his arse
Ray Collen has had a feather up his arse about Tom ever since his squad got disbanded.

Someone upset from his colleague.

Thanks in advance,
Responses
4 +2 irritated or annoyed
2 chip on his shoulder

Discussion

Yvonne Gallagher Mar 26, 2022:
@ Taña no problem. I was too busy with my own work yeserday to respond. And about to go gardening in lovely sunshine now! Have a good day!
Taña Dalglish Mar 26, 2022:
@ Yvonne Thank you. I accept that entries that I deleted (not because of you at all) were inaccurate. I am prepared to accept responsibility, and I do, when I am wrong, and always have. Fair enough that you are familiar with the expression. I deleted my entries and remarks (which were inappropriate for this forum which were addressed to another poster in order to avoid any further engagement with them, as I find their remarks very offensive. Again, I accept your more informed knowledge in this case and my intention (to you) was certainly not meant to minimise your response. Regards.
Yvonne Gallagher Mar 26, 2022:
@ Taña You have deleted your comments before I got a chance to respond. I did not need to look up this expression as I have heard it all my life and KNOW what it means. And it certainly fits the context here. Unlike the completely off-the-wall WR entry you posted here. Those people are compeletely clueless about the meaning. The expression is not "misused" at all.
I didn't provide any link for my "assumption" [sic] as I didn't need to look. But it certainly doesn't mean (WR) **very happy, elated, ecstatic.**
In this case the Asker is right as Google really isn't very useful [edited for typos]
S.J (asker) Mar 26, 2022:
Thank you all.
Daryo Mar 26, 2022:
@ Taña Dalglish There is this thingy called context.

Your colleague has done his worst to have your unit disbanded, and you are going to be "shocked and amazed" to the point of "enough to cause you to collapse".? Sure about that? Doesn't sound much likely to me, whatever any glossary has to say.

Especially that "squad" implies that Ray and Tom are police (if not military). "Amazed to the point of collapsing" would be the typical behaviour of competing policemen?
S.J (asker) Mar 25, 2022:
Google wasn't useful, the context is a police officer annoyed from another because he thought that that the other one was involved in the disbanding of his squad.
Cilian O'Tuama Mar 25, 2022:
So what has your own research revealed? Have you ever heard of google.com ? It can be useful.

Responses

+2
9 hrs
Selected

irritated or annoyed

I always associate this term with irritation so not funny like being tickled by a feather this is being irritated by a feather

Note he HAS HAD a feather up his arse =he has been annoyed, irritated


PUT a feather up someone's arse = urge them to get going/moving

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Note added at 9 hrs (2022-03-25 13:05:10 GMT)
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nothing to do with the expression "head up..." as it's a different meaning

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Note added at 1 day 7 hrs (2022-03-26 11:03:28 GMT) Post-grading
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glad to have helped
Peer comment(s):
agree Tony M : Yes, I believe it's in the sense of 'something that is constantly itching/irritating/annoying'; I think it's more a long-term minor irritation, rather than actually 'angry'.
54 mins
Thanks. Exactly.
agree Daryo : extremely irritated / proper pissed off ... that makes most sense in this ST // has a bee in his bonnet about it?
2 hrs
Thanks:-) yes. It is similar to having a bre in a bonnet but not synonymous
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you."
9 hrs

chip on his shoulder


Based on the context you’ve given us, I think you could replace “feather up his arse” with “chip on his shoulder” and keep the same meaning.

To “have a chip on your shoulder” means to be angry all the time because you think you have been treated wrongly by someone.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/have-a-c...
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