English

Adjective

hot under the collar ‎(comparative hotter under the collar, superlative hottest under the collar)

1. (idiomatic, of a person) Angry, agitated.
   • 1914, Ralph Henry Barbour, Left End Edwards, ch. 21:

     "Oh, cut it," said Steve wearily. " . . . I don't want to listen to drivel like that."

     "Drivel?" repeated the other, puzzled. " . . . I don't see why you need to get so hot under the collar.

   • 1919, P. G. Wodehouse. "Jeeves and the Hard Boiled Egg," in My Man Jeeves:

     "What do you mean, sir?" cried the old boy, getting purple. . . .

     "Now don't get hot under the collar. I'm only asking. I've a right to know."

   • 1951, "Poor People! Seats In The End Zone," Kentucky New Era, 21 Dec., p. 9 (retrieved 30 Sep 2010):

     The Tennessee Football fans who couldn't buy Sugar Bowl tickets were furious, but it's a toss-up whether they were any hotter under the collar than some of those who got them.

   • 2008, "IFP angry at 'history distortion'," Independent Online (South Africa), 14 May (retrieved 30 Sep 2010):

     A controversial history textbook has IFP members hot under the collar and has resulted in two protest marches being scheduled for KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.

References

• hot under the collar at OneLook Dictionary Search