Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

Drive someone up the wall

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Drive someone up the wall" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourEmotions & Reactions collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Emotions & Reactions

Drive someone up the wall

Drive someone up the wall
To make someone extremely annoyed, irritated, or frustrated.
History & Origin

The idiom is believed to have originated in the mid-20th century, drawing a parallel to the behavior of trapped or frantic animals trying to escape an enclosure by climbing the walls. It evokes the literal image of being so intensely annoyed or driven crazy that one would attempt to drive a vehicle or climb up a vertical wall just to escape the irritation. A similar phrase, 'climb the wall,' emerged around the same time to describe someone suffering from extreme anxiety or withdrawal.

Examples
Casual Conversation

My roommate's constant loud chewing is starting to drive me up the wall; I might have to move out.

Workplace Email

The persistent software glitches in the new CRM platform are driving the sales team up the wall and delaying client responses.

News/Media

The endless string of construction delays and subsequent traffic detours has been driving local commuters up the wall all week.

Academic Writing

While students found the ambiguous test instructions highly confusing, the resulting flood of emails drove the teaching assistants up the wall.

Formal Speech

Unnecessary bureaucratic delays in processing small business loans do more than stall progress; they drive hard-working citizens up the wall.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. The repetitive drilling sound from the construction site next door was driving me up the wall all afternoon.

B. We need to drive the new sales strategy up the wall if we want to achieve our quarterly revenue goals.

C. The breathtaking view from the mountain peak drove us up the wall with immense joy and peace.

D. He drove his parents up the wall by cleaning his room perfectly and finishing his homework early.