Extremely angry, frustrated, or agitated to the point where one seems to need physical restraint. The phrase suggests someone is so upset they're acting irrationally or wildly.
This American expression from the 19th century refers to the practice of physically restraining people who were acting dangerously due to mental illness or extreme emotional disturbance. The phrase suggests someone is so agitated they would need to be literally tied up to prevent them from causing harm.
The phrase reflects a time when physical restraint was a common response to emotional crisis, but it's survived because it perfectly captures that feeling of being so overwhelmed by emotion that you feel like you might do something crazy. It's also interesting that 'fit' here means 'suitable' or 'ready' - as in, this person is in such a state that tying them up would be appropriate.
Originally implied women were so emotionally unstable they needed to be physically restrained; used to dismiss women's legitimate anger as hysteria.
Avoid. If expressing extreme frustration, use 'absolutely furious' or 'outraged' without gendered undertones of emotional incapacity.
["outraged","furious","exasperated"]
Women's anger has historically been delegitimized through language that frames emotional expression as instability requiring control.
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