Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Idioms 202. The idiom today is to bite someone's head off. Okay. Let's take a look at the note here. If someone bites another person's head off, he or she speaks in a very angry or unpleasant way because they are annoyed by something. All right let's continue. This phrase is especially used if we believe the anger was unprovoked or some or an overreaction to something. Yeah. So if you didn't think somebody should have really got angry at all about this. Or we think somebody really reacted really, really went way overboard in their reaction. Then this is the case or the situation where we may say somebody bit someone's head off. All right. Let's continue with the note. Some people think this phrase may have come from the fact that a praying mantis,, you know, the insect. That insect is also known for you know eating a lot of other insects. A praying mantis does bite the head off her of her male mate about thirty percent of the time. So you might have heard of that you know when they when they mate you know, they have sex they have offspring. Sometimes the female will literally bite the head off of the male. So maybe some people believe that's where this phrase may have originally come from. All right. Let's look at the first example here . I was just asking if you think we could afford to buy a new car. You don't have to bite my head off. Meaning because obviously, he probably said to the ex think we can buy a new car ? And what, are you crazy ? Okay. Are you out of your mind ? Something like that. They probably made a very big deal about it. Screamed very loudly. So that's what he's saying you don't have to bite my head off. I'm just asking a question. Or number two. The boss is in a bad mood today. This is not the time to ask for a raise ? If you do it today he may bite your head off. Okay well that's the way we mean it. Anyway I hope you got it. I hope it was clear Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.
A2 US bite mantis praying insect phrase mate English Tutor Nick P Idioms (202) Bite One's Head Off 25 0 anitawu12 posted on 2019/04/29 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary