To rattle sb vs. to rattle sb's cage
Hi,
I wanted to ask the natives over here about the meaning of the verb "to rattle sb"
Can I use it in the sense of making somebody angry (on purpose) like in the following sentence:
"Let's try to rattle him a bit!" meaning let's annoy him a bit, let's get him irritated.
Cambridge dictionary and Collins dictionary don't include this meaning of the verb. They say it means to get someone worried. But can I understand it also in the sense of purposely making someone mad 
.
Also, do expressions “to get sb agitated”, “to get sb all worked up” also have the meaning of getting sb angry.
There is also the expression "to rattle sb's cage". I know that it has the meaning I am looking for. I read somewhere that it is British but in fact found instances of Americans using it. Is it a common expression, would most natives get its meaning right away?
Once again: Can "Let's rattle him!" be treated as synonymous to "Let's rattle his cage!"
Top answer
" meaning let's annoy him a bit, let's get him irritated. No. When someone is rattled, they are made nervous and disoriented.
- " meaning let's annoy him a bit, let's get him irritated.
- No.
- When someone is rattled, they are made nervous and disoriented.
- Karol Silski 5217 Also, do expressions “to get sb agitated”, “to get sb all worked up” also have the meaning of getting sb angry.
- You don't normally "get" someone angry, you "make" them that way.
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Karol Silski 5217I wanted to ask the natives over here about the meaning of the verb "to rattle sb"Can I use it in the sense of making somebody angry (on purpose) like in the following sentence:"Let's try to rattle him a bit!" meaning let's annoy him a bit, let's get him irritated.
No. When someone is rattled, they are made nervous and disoriented.
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