postal

go ballistic and go postal

Fig. to become irrationally enraged. (Ballistic refers to a missile launching; postal refers to an enraged post office employee attacking those at his place of work. See also go into orbit.) The boss went ballistic when he saw my expense report. She was so mad, I thought she was going to go postal.

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go ballistic  (informal)

to become very angry and start shouting or behaving violently Apparently, he told Sandra that he'd been out for a drink with his ex-girlfriend and she went ballistic.

go postal  (American very informal)

to become very angry, or to suddenly behave in a violent and angry way, especially in the place where you work

Usage notes: This idiom started when a post office worker in America shot several of the people he worked with.

My Mom will go postal if I get home late. When she heard she'd been fired she went postal and started throwing things around the office.

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go ballistic

to become extremely upset and excited It took almost an hour to get our food, and Mike almost went ballistic when they brought him the wrong thing.

Related vocabulary: blow your top

go postal

to suddenly become violent or angry I don't think anybody is going to come in to work and go postal on me.

Etymology: based on an event in which an employee of the US Postal Service shot and killed other workers