Pissed!
Sunday
A short-tempered person is said to “fly off the handle” when upset. This pioneer-era term alludes to an ill-fitting metal axe head coming loose from its wooden handle and going airborne, an obvious danger to those nearby.
Monday
Ballistics is the study of the natural flight paths of unpowered objects; the arcs of everything from stones to bullets and cannonballs. In the military sense, any self-propelled guided missile “goes ballistic” when it is no longer under control and propulsion, and so assumes a natural free-falling trajectory. However, long-range nuclear missiles such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are designed to fall naturally toward their targets in the final part of their flight, and it was during the American Cold War development of these weapons when “go ballistic” grew as a figurative expression.
Tuesday
Though bulls cannot actually see the color, the term “see red” to describe intense anger may have origins in bullfighting and the bullfighter’s red cape used to incite the bulls to charge. However, the color red has long been associated with high emotion, so the term’s origin may also be unrelated to bullfighting. Interestingly, some research indicates that angrier and more hostile people actually do see the color red more often.
Wednesday
Describing someone as “livid” also invokes a color. This dark bluish or greyish color more recently came to indicate the hue of an extremely angry individual.
Thursday
In Greek mythology, unpunished wrongdoers made the Furies feel, well, furious. This trio of bat-winged, snake-haired goddesses dealt in vengeance, punishment and justice, and they had particular disdain for those who lied, murdered, sinned against the gods, and children who disobeyed or killed their parents.
Friday
However, the ancients would not have understood some modern and technical idioms for intense anger. To “blow a fuse” is to overload an electrical fuse with current beyond its capacity. (The Rolling Stones famously sang about blowing a 50-amp fuse in “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”)
Saturday
Similarly, to “blow a gasket,” which acts as a seal between metal parts in an engine’s combustion chamber, would result in a steam or liquid release in early engines, and still means very expensive repairs in modern cars.