cage

Related to cage: Faraday cage

be (like) a bird in a gilded cage

To live a life of wealth and luxury but to be without true freedom, happiness, or contentment. She married her husband because of his fortune, and now she is a bird in a gilded cage, living her lonely life inside their empty mansion with a man she does not love. John forsook his friends and family in the pursuit of his riches, but with no friends or loved ones, he is now like a bird in a gilded cage.
See also: bird, cage, gild

bear cage

A police station. Likely related to highway patrol officers being called "bear," a possible reference to Smokey the Bear (a cartoon character who wears a hat similar to those sometimes worn by the highway patrol). Well, I had to go down to the bear cage this morning because it seems that my son got arrested last night on his way home.
See also: bear, cage

cage (someone or something) in

To trap or enclose one in a particular space or area. We're getting new floors put in downstairs, so we're all caged in upstairs right now. Be sure to close the gate and cage the dog in the back yard.
See also: cage

cage (someone or something) up (in something)

To trap or enclose one in a particular space or area. Be sure to close the gate and cage the dog up in the back yard.
See also: cage, up

cage of anger

A state of intense anger or rage that inhibits one's ability to forgive others or move on with one's life. Tom has been trapped in a cage of anger ever since his wife and child were killed, lashing out at everyone and everything around him. I know what she did was horrible, but you can't stay in this cage of anger your whole life.
See also: anger, cage, of

gilded cage

A life of wealth and luxury but without true freedom, happiness, or contentment. She married her husband because of his fortune, but her lonely life inside their mansion with a man she did not love quickly became a gilded cage.
See also: cage, gild

rattle (one's) cage

To purposefully anger, upset, or unnerve one, especially to affect their performance or undermine their credibility. He makes a point of taunting his opponents before each match in order to rattle their cage. The audience member asked a number of embarrassing questions about her past in an obvious attempt to rattle her cage.
See also: cage, rattle
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

cage someone or something in

 
1. Lit. to enclose someone or something in a cage. We caged the monkey in, but it threw a fit. We are going to have to cage in the dogs.
2. Fig. to confine someone or something. Please don't cage me in this tiny room! The health authorities virtually caged in the quarantined population until they could all be tested.
See also: cage

cage someone or something up (in something)

to enclose or confine someone or something in something or someplace. They caged the lions up in strong containers for the trip across country. How long did it take to cage up the lions securely?
See also: cage, up
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

gilded cage

The encumbrances or limitations that often accompany material wealth, as in She had furs, jewelry, whatever money could buy, but was trapped in a gilded cage. This metaphoric expression indicating that riches cannot buy happiness was popularized (and possibly coined) in a song, "A Bird in a Gilded Cage" (1990; lyrics by Arthur J. Lamb, music by Harry von Tilzer), about a young girl marrying for wealth instead of love and paying for luxury with a life of regret.
See also: cage, gild
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

rattle someone's cage

If you rattle someone's cage, you do or say something that upsets or annoys them. One thing I've learnt as an editor is that you can't create a truly superb magazine without rattling someone's cage. I don't rattle their cages and they don't rattle mine.
See also: cage, rattle
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

rattle someone's cage

make someone feel angry or annoyed, usually deliberately. informal
A humorous comparison is implied between the person annoyed in this way and a dangerous animal taunted by spectators outside its cage.
See also: cage, rattle
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

ˌrattle somebody’s ˈcage

(informal) annoy somebody: Who’s rattled his cage? OPPOSITE: smooth (somebody’s) ruffled feathers
See also: cage, rattle
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

bear cage

n. a police station. (Citizens band radio.) Have you ever been in a country bear cage?
See also: bear, cage

the cage of anger

n. a prison. (Streets.) The judge put JoJo into the cage of anger for a three-year stretch.
See also: anger, cage, of
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • be (like) a bird in a gilded cage
  • a tall poppy
  • appear to
  • a change of heart
  • a mystery to (one)
  • a turn of phrase
  • able to do
  • able to do it
  • a shoulder to cry on
  • a piece/slice of the action
References in classic literature
Behind the cage Tarzan adjusted the lion's skin about him, just as he had upon that memorable occasion when the apes of Kerchak, failing to pierce his disguise, had all but slain him.
The strong light from the fire fell full upon the lion head and the blacks leaped to the conclusion, as Tarzan had known they would, that their captive had escaped his cage.
They had been hunting a lion securely housed within a strong cage, and now that he was at liberty among them, an entirely different aspect was placed upon the matter.
Springing to the top of the cage he pulled upon the cord which raised the door, and a moment later a great lion in the prime of his strength and vigor leaped out into the village.
Jungle Tales of Tarzan
"In addition to this there hath been paid to a mason who hath made the holes wherein to place the gratings of the windows, and the floor of the chamber where the cage is, because that floor could not support this cage by reason of its weight, twenty-seven livres fourteen sols parisis."
I have been shivering in an iron cage for fourteen years.
He tore the book from Master Olivier's hands, and set to reckoning it himself upon his fingers, examining the paper and the cage alternately.
He turned his back on the cage, and set out to leave the room.
"By the way," said he, "was there not some one in that cage?"
"At liberty!" growled Tristan "Doth not your majesty wish to have him detained a little while in a cage?"
It was one of those famous cages of prisoners of state, which were called "the little daughters of the king." In its walls there were two or three little windows so closely trellised with stout iron bars; that the glass was not visible.
"Gossip," retorted Louis XI., "think you that 'tis for birds of this feather that we cause to be made cages at three hundred and sixty-seven livres, eight sous, three deniers apiece?
Notre Dame de Paris
Cage has looked to get his four-day-old marriage made null and void after the 55-year-old received his marriage certificate on Saturday.
Nicolas Cage claims he was 'too drunk to understand' marrying Erika Koike last week; Nicolas Cage has looked to get his four-day-old marriage made null and void after the 55-year-old received his marriage certificate on Saturday
* The last time that Koike and Cage were seen together before their marriage was in May.
14 Fast Facts About Nicholas Cage's Wife Fourth Wife Erika Koike