climb the walls

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Idioms and Phrases

Show extreme frustration, impatience, or anxiety, as in That long, boring banquet made me want to climb the walls , or If he says that one more time I'll be ready to climb the walls . Although describing a military maneuver dating from ancient times, this slangy phrase has been used figuratively to express strong negative feeling only since about 1970. Also see under drive someone crazy .

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April 24, 2024gallimaufry

[gal-uh-maw-free ]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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