Etymology Journal ยท G
Got a bee in your bonnet
Meaning
- Used when someone is obsessed with an idea, or is acting particularly anxious, agitated, or angry about something trivial.
Observational, teasing
Used in a sentence
- Why are you so worried about the guest list? You have got a bee in your bonnet about it.
- She has got a bee in her bonnet about the neighbors painting their fence.
- I told him not to get a bee in his bonnet over the lost remote.
The backstory
This phrase has been around since at least the 16th century, likely referring to the idea that if a bee were trapped in your hat, you would be buzzing around in a panic trying to get it out.
Heard in
Nationwide
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