blow a fuse

B

blow a fuse (idiom)
/ˌbloʊ ə ˈfjuz/

Meaning

• Lose control of one’s temper; become very angry or enraged suddenly.
• React explosively to a stressful or frustrating situation.
• Experience a mental or emotional breakdown due to pressure or exhaustion.
• Cause an electrical circuit to break by overloading it.

Example Sentences

1. When she saw the broken vase, she blew a fuse and started yelling.
2. After weeks without sleep, she blew a fuse and had to take time off work.
3. The microwave overloaded the socket and blew a fuse, cutting all the power.

Origin and History

The Electrifying Origin of “Blow a Fuse”

The phrase “blow a fuse” is a common idiom used to describe someone suddenly losing their temper or becoming extremely angry. Its vivid imagery immediately conjures up a picture of an electrical overload, and indeed, its origins are deeply rooted in the world of electricity. While several theories and interpretations exist, they all point to the same underlying concept: a system overwhelmed to the point of failure.

The Literal Electrical Connection

The most widely accepted and fundamental theory for the phrase’s origin lies in the literal function of an electrical fuse. A fuse is a safety device containing a thin wire designed to melt and break an electrical circuit when the current flowing through it exceeds a safe level. This prevents damage to appliances, wiring, and even fires. When this wire melts, the fuse is said to “blow.”

The connection to human temper is a clear metaphor. Just as an electrical circuit can become overloaded with too much current, a person can become overloaded with stress, frustration, or anger. When this emotional “current” becomes too intense, their “fuse”—their capacity for calm and self-control—melts, resulting in an explosive outburst. This parallel is so intuitive that it’s easy to see why the phrase gained traction.

An American-English Innovation

The phrase “blow a fuse” is generally considered to be of American-English origin. Its emergence coincides with the widespread adoption of electricity in homes and industries during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As electrical systems became more common, so did the experience of fuses blowing due to overloads, making the concept relatable to a broad audience.

Early Figurative Uses: Beyond Just Anger

Interestingly, early figurative uses of “blow a fuse” were not exclusively tied to anger. Historical records indicate that the phrase also appeared in contexts referring to exhaustion or a general state of being overwhelmed. For instance, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it might have described a machine, or even a person, “blowing out a fuse” due to simply running too hard or being pushed beyond its limits, leading to a breakdown rather than an angry outburst. This suggests a broader initial metaphorical application that gradually narrowed to specifically denote rage.

The Earliest Printed Records

Identifying the absolute earliest printed record of such a colloquialism can be challenging, as informal language often appears in spoken form before it makes its way into formal writing. However, research points to early literal uses of “to blow (out) a fuse” in the context of electrical systems appearing around the late 1800s.

One of the earliest literal uses can be traced to a paper read by British-born U.S. engineer Elihu Thomson in February 1890, during the 11th Convention of the National Electric Light Association in Kansas City, Missouri. The paper, “Safety and Safety Devices in Electric Installations,” undoubtedly discussed the function and failure of fuses.

For the figurative use, particularly in the sense of losing one’s temper, the earliest unequivocal occurrence found is from a short story by U.S. journalist and author Sewell Ford (1868-1946) titled “First Aid for Frisbie,” published in The Evening Star (Washington, D.C., USA) on Sunday, January 12, 1908. The passage reads:

“For a minute I thought Pyramid was goin’ to blow out a fuse. His jaw shuts with a click like a spring lock, his eyes narrows down to pin points, and he glares at Frisbie like he was goin’ to jump down his throat.”

This clearly illustrates the “loss of temper” meaning we understand today.

Prior to this, some figurative uses in the 1890s and early 1900s, such as those found in the Sandusky Daily Register (Ohio, USA) in August 1892, and The Boston Post (Massachusetts, USA) in September 1892, referred to exhaustion or a general system failure rather than outright anger.

Broader Metaphorical Landscape

The idiom “blow a fuse” is not alone in using mechanical or electrical failures to describe human emotional states. It belongs to a family of similar expressions, such as “blow a gasket” (from engine mechanics), “blow one’s top,” or “short-circuited.” These phrases demonstrate a common human tendency to draw parallels between complex internal experiences and tangible external phenomena, particularly those involving pressure, breakdown, or explosive release. The “ANGER IS HEAT” conceptual metaphor is also at play here, where intense emotions are understood through the physical sensation of heat, leading to a “boiling point” or an eventual “blow-up.”

Imagination and Further Speculation

While the electrical origin is firmly established, one could playfully imagine other, more whimsical, contributions to the phrase’s longevity. Perhaps the sharp, sudden sound of an actual fuse blowing, sometimes accompanied by a small spark or flash, contributed to the sense of a sudden, dramatic outburst. One might even muse about the satisfaction of replacing a blown fuse – a tangible act of resolving a problem, much like one might try to “cool down” after a fit of rage. Could the common act of checking the fuse box in a darkened house after a power outage also have reinforced the idea of a sudden and inconvenient disruption caused by an overloaded circuit, mirroring the disruption of a person’s calm demeanor?

Variants

• blow one’s top
• flip out
• go ballistic
• lose it
• hit the roof
• snap

Anger, Emotion

Last update: July 3, 2025 5:03 AM