go ballistic

go ballistic

To become wildly or uncontrollably angry. My parents went totally ballistic when they found out I'd wrecked the car! Now, don't go ballistic or anything, but I've decided to move to Canada.
See also: ballistic, go
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

go ballistic

 and go postal
Fig. to become irrationally enraged. (Ballistic refers to a missile launching; postal refers to an enraged post office employee attacking those at his place of work. See also go into orbit.) The boss went ballistic when he saw my expense report. She was so mad, I thought she was going to go postal.
See also: ballistic, go
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

go ballistic

Become extremely upset or angry, as in Dad will go ballistic when he sees you dented the new car. This expression, a variation on go berserk, originally alluded to a guided missile going out of control. [Slang; mid-1980s]
See also: ballistic, go
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

go ballistic

INFORMAL
If someone goes ballistic, they get extremely angry. They claim the singer went ballistic after a member of his band failed to show up for a sound check. She'll go ballistic when she finds out. Note: This expression uses the image of a ballistic missile, and the powerful explosion which it causes. Compare with go nuclear.
See also: ballistic, go
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

go ballistic

fly into a rage. informal
1998 New Scientist The French nuclear industry, local authorities around La Hague and some government agencies went ballistic. Viel was fiercely condemned for his findings.
See also: ballistic, go
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

go balˈlistic

(informal) become very angry: He went ballistic when I told him about the accident.A ballistic missile is a weapon that is sent through the air and that explodes when it hits the thing that it is aimed at. When it goes ballistic it starts to fall towards its target and so becomes very dangerous.
See also: ballistic, go
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

go ballistic

Slang
To become very angry or irrational.
See also: ballistic, go
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

go ballistic, to

To become irrationally angry and out of control. This slangy expression originally referred to a guided missile that went out of control. It began to be used to describe human anger in the 1980s and quickly caught on. The New Republic used it on November 6, 1989: “He would go ballistic over the idea of reopening the capital gains tax break for real estate.” It is well on its way to being a cliché.
See also: go
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • ballistic
  • go ballistic, to
  • postal
  • apeshit
  • go bitchcakes
  • go apeshit
  • go apeshit over (something)
  • go apeshit over someone/something
  • go ape over (someone or something)
  • go ape over someone/something
References in periodicals archive
Trained by David Nicholson when runner-up to See More Business in the Gold Cup, Go Ballistic also had time under the care of John O'Shea, Alan King, Henrietta Knight and Richard Phillips.
For McCoy it was a touch of sweat and cheers for he spent an hour in the sauna to lose 3lb to get down to Go Ballistic's handicap mark of 10st.
"It is likely to be Go Ballistic's last race and we will have some party if he wins.
Lord Noelie faded into 10th place behind his stable companion, while old campaigner Go Ballistic was pulled up before the second-last fence when in arrears.
The Jackdaws Castle trainer said of Go Ballistic, runner-up to See More Business in the Cheltenham Gold Cup before disappointing in Aintree's Martell Cup: ''He was second in a Gold Cup and on his day he is a class horse.
The races might have differed and the trainers might have changed - regularly - but Go Ballistic returned to P restbury Park as sure as night follows day.
His trainer Henrietta Knight said: "Go Ballistic is on target and it will probably be his last race.
His intended mounts include Barton (Arkle Trophy), The Bajan Bandit (SunAlliance Hurdle), Telemoss (Stayers Hurdle or Coral Cup), Quazar (Triumph Hurdle), Go Ballistic (Gold Cup) and Benbyas (County Hurdle).
Fortunately, both horses were quickly on their feet, First Gold following the pack as Marlborough beat off Go Ballistic in a rousing finish.
PAUL SHEERIN heads for Rugby Park on Wednesday knowing past exploits in the Scottish Cup are making it much more difficult for Super Caley to go ballistic in the replay at Kilmarnock.
See More Business beat Go Ballistic by a length last Thursday, with Irish-trained Florida Pearl third.
Sheila Lockhart, owner of Go Ballistic, expresses her gratitude
Knight reported that her two other Gold Cup runners, Lord Noelie and Go Ballistic, could well race again this spring.
Other prices: 4 Marlborough, 12 Beau, Cyfor Malta, Legal Right, 16 Lord Noelie, 33 Go Ballistic, 50 bar.
Tony Dobbin's handling of old stager Go Ballistic to win a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham on Friday was a matchless mix of guile and toughness.