Get someone's goat
Meaning
To annoy or irritate someone intensely, often deliberately.
Origin
This phrase, popularized in early 20th-century American English, is often linked to the world of horse racing. Trainers would frequently keep a goat in the stable with a high-strung racehorse, as the goat's calm presence was believed to soothe the horse's nerves. A cunning rival, seeking to sabotage a competitor, might sneak into the stable and steal, or 'get,' the goat. Without its calming companion, the horse would become agitated and anxious, performing poorly in the race. This act of deliberately disrupting an animal's peace quickly evolved into a vivid metaphor for intentionally irritating or upsetting a person.
Examples
- His constant humming during the test really started to get my goat.
- The politician's evasive answers always seem to get the reporters' goat at press conferences.