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hackle

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get (someone's) hackles up

To become or cause to become angry, hostile, defensive, or irritable. John got his hackles up when his parents brought up the subject of college. Election season always gets my dad's hackles up.

See also: get, hackle, up

make (someone's) hackles rise

To greatly irritate, annoy, or aggravate someone. The disrespect he showed our professor during class made my hackles rise so badly that I had to go take a walk to calm down. The politician has a gift for making his opponents' hackles rise during debates.

See also: hackle, make, rise

get someone's dander up

 and get someone's back up; get someone's hackles up; get someone's Irish up; put someone's back up

Fig. to make someone get angry. (Fixed order.) Now, don't get your dander up. Calm down. I insulted him and really got his hackles up. Bob had his Irish up all day yesterday. I don't know what was wrong. Now, now, don't get your back up. I didn't mean any harm.

See also: dander, get, up

raise your hackles

to annoy someone Jim could raise her hackles quickly, but she enjoyed being with him anyway.

Related vocabulary: make your hair stand on end

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of hackles (the hairs on the back of a dog's neck that stick up when the dog fears something)

See also: hackle, raise

raise (somebody's) hackles

  also make (somebody's) hackles rise

to annoy someone

Usage notes: Hackles are the hairs on the back of a dog's neck which stand up when it is angry.

The politician's frank interview may have raised hackles in his party. The movie's pro-war message made many people's hackles rise.

See also: hackle, raise

raise one's hackles

Make one very angry, as in That really raised my hackles when he pitched straight at the batter's head. Hackles are the hairs on the back of an animal's neck, which stick up when the animal feels fearful or angry. [Late 1800s]

See also: hackle, raise

get (one's) hackles up

To be extremely insulted or irritated.

See also: get, hackle, up