Who rattled your cage?

Posted by Henry on July 06, 2004

In Reply to: Jerking or yanking someone's chain posted by ESC on July 06, 2004

: : : What does that and "yank your chain" mean?
: : : Thankx,
: : : Vidhya.

: : From a previous discussion:

: : TAKE IT INTO THE WHEELHOUSE - ".we're going to take it into this administration's supposed wheelhouse." From "Had Enough: A Handbook for Fighting Back" by James Carville with Jeff Nussbaum (Simon & Schuster, New York, 2003) Page 30.

: : : "Right in his wheelhouse" is a common expression in U.S. baseball, though I don't know how old it is, or if it originated as a sports expression.

: : : In baseball, it refers to the location of a pitch that makes it easy to hit for a particular batter.

: : Wheelhouse -- A hitter's power zone. Usually a pitch waist-high and over the heart of the plate.

: Yanking or jerking someone's chaing. My opinion: I believe this phrase comes from jerking a dog's chain which is very disturbing to the dog. Yanking someone's chain is doing something to purposely upset them.

: ("Pulling someone's coat" is alerting him or her to a problem.)

When somebody makes an unwelcome interruption, a sharp reponse is "Who rattled your cage?"

• Who rattled your cage? ESC 06/July/04
  • Who rattled your cage? Bob 06/July/04
    • Who pulled your string? ESC (USA) 06/July/04
      • Who pulled your string? --Really! Lexi 06/July/04
        • Chatty Cathy ESC 06/July/04
          • Chatty Cathy dhm 07/July/04