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Fly Off The Handle Idiom. To lose control of ones emotions. Fly off the handle to To lose ones temper. The term is American in origin and dates from the early nineteenth century. The analogy here is to a loosened hammer head that comes off after it has struck a blow.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2013 3 Heacock Paul. I say let them fly off the handle show they care and show they tried. You have to be very careful because he flies off the handle very easily. It was customary in early 19th century in America to made handmade tools that had axe heads which people used to cut down trees to construct houses. The use of the id. Fly off the handle to To lose ones temper.
To become very angry He tends to fly off the handle when people disagree with him.
The use of the id. Fly off the handle to To lose ones temper. AE 776 Expression. Flying off the handle is not good for a persons blood pressure. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. The analogy here is to a loosened hammer head that comes off after it has struck a blow.