The idiom “foam at the mouth” means extreme anger, originating from the symptom of rabies in animals. Rabid animals lose control and attack anyone, and the expression is a form of hyperbole. Rabies is transmitted through bites, and those who “foam at the mouth” should be avoided as they are beyond reason.
The English idiom “foam at the mouth” is easy to understand once it’s explained. It just means being extremely angry. The expression comes from one of the symptoms of rabies seen in dogs, cats and other mammals. A person who starts foaming at the mouth is dangerously out of control with anger, cannot be calmed or controlled, and should be avoided.
Anger is less common now than it once was, so the expression isn’t as transparent as it would have been when it was first coined. In the early part of the 20th century, city dwellers also had more opportunities to see rabid animals because, even after vaccines became available, many pet owners didn’t get vaccinated. In addition, cats and dogs were allowed to enter the streets freely and mingle there with wild animals. It was not uncommon for animals in homes and on the streets to suddenly start foaming at the mouth and show other signs of rabies.
Rabid animals lose all control and seem mad with rage. They are unable to swallow, so bubbly drool falls out of their open mouths. Rabid pets will attack anyone who gets close, even a beloved owner or someone they’re trying to help.
The expression is a form of hyperbole. Hyperbole is a literary device that exaggerates or overstates an idea or image for effect, and is common in idioms like this. Of course, even the angriest people don’t literally foam at their mouths like a rabid animal does. However, when a boss, spouse, or even a stranger is so furious that they lose control, the target of anger may feel fear as if that person were actually angry.
Not just used to describe someone else, people often incorporate this idiom into a story they’re telling about how something made them very angry. The typical narrative in which the speaker self-identifies as foam in the mouth is usually delivered with a sense of awe, as if the speaker’s behavior is so out of the norm as to be unrecognizable. This lines up with the reality of rabies because rabid animals are acting against their nature. Nocturnal creatures such as raccoons or bats appear during the day, passive pets become ferocious, and energetic pets act as if they are exhausted.
Rabies is transmitted through bites, and people in the presence of a rabid animal should get away from it as quickly as possible. Anyone who is faced with someone who “foams at the mouth” would also do better to step away from the situation. This is because those who have reached that level of anger are, like truly rabid animals, far beyond reason.
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