get someone's Irish up

verb

To anger or annoy someone.

Similar
annoy and Thesaurus:enrage
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Meanings

verbget someone's Irish up (third-person singular simple present gets someone's Irish up, present participle getting someone's Irish up, simple past got someone's Irish up, past participle (UK) got someone's Irish up or (US) gotten someone's Irish up)

present singular third person gets someone's Irish up · participle present getting someone's Irish up · past got someone's Irish up · UK participle past got someone's Irish up · US participle past gotten someone's Irish up

  1. potentially offensiveTo anger or annoy someone.

    "It's so crazy I've got to believe they're either paranoid or trying to get his Irish up so he will run [and split the anti-Carter vote in the primaries]. My guess is it's paranoia."

    1979, David Garth, New York Magazine, page 14

    Synonyms: annoy and Thesaurus:enrage

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo anger or annoy someone.

Similar
annoy and Thesaurus:enrage
Also see
annoyenrage

Origin

From a supposed propensity of Irish people to be easily and severely angered.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

get someone's Irish up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20someone's%20Irish%20up

MLA

“get someone's Irish up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20someone's%20Irish%20up. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “get someone's Irish up,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20someone's%20Irish%20up.

Source: get someone's Irish up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.