Remember that time you got so Angry you couldn’t find words within your existing range of vocabulary to express it? Irritation, frustration, annoyance, outrage, indignation, pique, and a wide range of synonyms describe one of the more dominant emotions we experience: Anger.

If you’re trying to get some writing done while struggling with frustrating situations like writer’s block, impossible assignment deadlines, or revisions in your thesis, don’t let the anger mess up your thought process. Instead, use your frustration to build up your writing chops!

Just write it all down and let the anger out. And instead of using an endless stream of cliched expletives, try something more colourful. To get you started, we’ve put together a little list of idioms to help you vent while developing your literary genius!

1. To see red

This has no connection to the red of roses in Valentine’s Day poetry. On the contrary, a lover’s spat (or an unfinished document) could cause you to ‘see red’, or feel an immense amount of rage.

2. Bent out of shape

You know how anger can sometimes make you feel as though your body is actually physically contorting? This idiom vividly captures the feeling of being deeply offended.

3. Making your blood boil

Similarly, when someone ‘makes your blood boil’, they make you angry to a point of possibly no return. So if someone around you uses that phrase, you would do best to keep away.

4. The last straw

We all go through varying stages of irritation before finally losing our cool. That final little (or not so little!) thing that tips you over the edge is usually referred to as the last straw.

5. Cheesed off

Probably the mildest idiom on this list, but very relatable to the millennial age. It describes emotions ranging from simply bored to frustrated or even annoyed.

6. Go through the roof

This one means you’re angry enough to explode, burst into space or send someone else flying into orbit!

7. Snap someone’s head off

Sometimes, we all get angry enough to be nasty to someone without good reason. This idiom perfectly captures that snappy emotion.

8. Bite someone’s head off

What’s with people’s heads being bitten, blown or snapped off anyway? Historical theory: these idioms might have something to do with anger in the olden days resulting in decapitation or brutal forms of torture. Anyhow, this refers to criticising someone too strongly and often unfairly.

9. Get off my back

If someone sits on your back, you’d definitely feel a lot of pressure on you. Use this idiom to ask them to take a chill pill and leave you be.

10. Cut it out

When all other idioms fail and anger leaves you borderline incoherent, keep it simple and ask people to cut it out. Or cut the crap. Lest you cut them instead.