Chinese language study HK – Chinese allusions -So Angry That One’ s Hair Lifts Up One’ s Hat

Mandarin Lesson

In the Warring States Period, Lin Xiangru, chief min-ister of the State of Zhao, was sent as an envoy to the State of Qin to ask the ruler of Qin to return a fine piece of jade to Zhao. But the ruler of Qin was rude and unreasonable. Lin was angry, and his hair stood up so stiffly on his head that it lifted up his hat.

 This idiom came to be used to mean being extremely angry.

怒髮衝冠  
戰國時代,趙國的大臣藺相如出使到秦國。在他向秦王索回玉璧的時候,秦王蠻不講理,藺相如氣憤得連頭髮都豎了起來,向上沖著帽子。 
後來人們用“怒髮衝冠”這個成語形容人憤怒到了極點。