rattle someone's cage

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

rattle someone's cage

1. (informal) To demand attention from someone; to nag, nudge, or remind someone.

   Nobody has corrected the problem yet, so it's time to rattle their cage.

2. (idiomatic) To anger or to annoy.

   If you really want to rattle his cage, ask him about his family.

Synonyms

• rattle someone's chain

See also

• the squeaky wheel gets the grease
• yank someone's chain