drive

drive a coach and horses through something (British)

if someone drives a coach and horses through a rule, an opinion, a plan, or a tradition, they destroy it by doing something against it which it is too weak to prevent. His company drove a coach and horses through employment legislation. She produced statistics which drove a coach and horses through the chairman's argument.

See also: horse, through

drive a hard bargain

to demand a lot or refuse to give much when making an agreement with someone. I'm impressed that you got £2000 for that car. You certainly drive a hard bargain.

See also: bargain, hard

drive a wedge between someone

if you drive a wedge between two people or two groups of people, you do something which spoils their relationship. She thinks Samantha's jealous and is trying to drive a wedge between her and her boyfriend. This is a clear attempt to drive a wedge between the USA and its western allies.

See also: between, wedge

drive someone to distraction

to make someone very angry or very bored. Looking after six children every day is enough to drive you to distraction. There's a constant buzzing noise and it's driving me to distraction.

See also: distraction

drive someone to drink (humorous)

to make someone extremely anxious and unhappy. I just couldn't live with someone like Malcolm. It would drive me to drink.

See also: drink

drive someone up the wall (informal)

to make someone very angry or very bored. I was being driven up the wall by their silly chatter. Working in a factory would have driven me up the wall.

See also: wall

drive/hammer something home

to say something very clearly and with a lot of force, often repeating it several times, so that you are sure that people understand it. She used charts and statistics to drive home her message that we need to economize.

See also: hammer, home

drive/run/work yourself into the ground

to work so hard that you become very tired or ill. He'll run himself into the ground if he doesn't take some time off.

See also: ground, run, work

drive/send someone round the bend (informal)

to make someone very angry, especially by continuing to do something annoying. You're driving me round the bend with your constant complaining.

See also: bend, round, send

drive/send someone round the twist (British & Australian, informal)

to make someone very angry, especially by continuing to do something annoying. This non-stop banging is driving me round the twist. A day with my mother is enough to send anyone round the twist.

See also: round, send, twist

push/drive someone over the edge (informal)

if an unpleasant event pushes someone over the edge, it makes them start to behave in a crazy way. She had been driven over the edge by the separation from her husband.

See also: edge, over, push

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drive a hard bargain

to make someone agree to an arrangement that benefits you. The bank was able to drive a hard bargain because the company badly needed cash.

See also: bargain, hard

drive a wedge between someone/something

to cause a division between people or groups. Frank had to travel a lot and this finally drove a wedge between him and his wife. The issue of global warming has driven a wedge between our government and the rest of the world.

See also: between, wedge

drive someone to drink

to make someone regularly drink a lot of alcohol. The death of a spouse can be enough to drive some people to drink.

See also: drink

drive you crazy

to make you upset. Until you get used to a new computer, the software will drive you crazy. Because I am not a patient person, I am quite sure that editing a dictionary would just drive me nuts!

Usage notes: also used in the form drive you mad

See also: crazy

drive you to distraction

to cause you to be unable to think or work. That constant buzzing noise is driving me to distraction.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form do something to distraction to be unable to think of anything else: It is obvious that he loves her to distraction.

drive you up the wall

See also: distraction

drive you up the wall

to make you very unhappy and full of anxiety or anger. Working in front of a computer screen all day drives me up the wall.

drive you to distraction

See also: wall