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MrPernickety Posted 17 years ago
Vocabulary

Meaning of "put one's fist through a door"

Hi, guys !

I stumbled upon this sentence: Last time I got dumped (e.g., my GF left me for another guy), I put my fist through a door.

What on earth does "put my fist through a door" mean? Like he thrust his fist through a door, breaking it in splinters ? Or is it idiomatic ?

Many thanks !
  

Top answer

Pounding one's fist on something hard is a natural expression of anger. ) are capable of doing it literally.

— Philip

  • Pounding one's fist on something hard is a natural expression of anger.
  • ) are capable of doing it literally.
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3 Answers
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Pounding one's fist on something hard is a natural expression of anger. This expression is often used figuratively, although I imagine that some people (Hulk Hogan?) are capable of doing it literally.
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I think it is literally what happened. He punched the door so hard that he broke it, and probably broke some bones in his hand too.
[EDIT] Interior doors in American homes are hollow, made of very thin wood. They are not very strong.

I have not seen the expression used as an idiom.
I have seen text like "I was so angry that I could have put my fist through the door."
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If an American English speaker says he "put his fist thru a door" in reaction to something, he may or may not be expressing an actual event. I would expect it to be an exaggeration for humorous effect. However, I have known of someone who kicked a hole in a door in anger.
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