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Henry74 Posted 10 years ago
Vocabulary

Tick

Hi,

I was looking for a simile to use after tick in the sense of get angry. I came up with tick like a stopwatch. Does that make sense?
Are there more established expressions with tick?

Thank you for your help.
H.
  

Top answer

Henry74 Does that make sense? Not to me. I don't think that "tick" is a very appropriate word to use in an expression for "get angry".

— GPY

  • Henry74 Does that make sense?
  • Not to me.
  • I don't think that "tick" is a very appropriate word to use in an expression for "get angry".
  • "tick" (in the sense of what a clock or watch does) usually has connotations of steady and smooth running.
  • There is an expression "tick off", meaning to scold or to annoy, but I don't mentally associate it with the kind of ticking that a watch does.
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3 Answers
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Henry74Does that make sense?
Not to me. I don't think that "tick" is a very appropriate word to use in an expression for "get angry". "tick" (in the sense of what a clock or watch does) usually has connotations of steady and smooth running.

There is an expression "tick off", meaning to scold or to annoy, but I don't mentally associate it with the kind
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You can say that something ticks you off in sense that something makes you angry.
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Right. Tick off is probably what I wanted.
I was so proud of my invented simile Emotion: tongue tied

Thank you
H.
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