get under someone's skin

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English

Pronunciation

  • Audio (AU):(file)

Verb

get under someone's skin

  1. (idiomatic) To irritate someone.
    • 1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, chapter 15, in A Poor Wise Man:
      [T]his Bolshevist stuff gets under my skin. I've got a home and a family here. I started in to work when I was thirteen, and all I've got I've made and saved right here.
    • 1929, Edgar Wallace, chapter 57, in The Black:
      She could get under his skin and drag on the raw places.
  2. (idiomatic) To make a memorable impression or have a strong effect on someone; to impact someone's feelings.
    • 2003 July 28, James Poniewozik, "Body Shop," Time:
      Some TV shows get under your skin with lovable characters or subtle writing.