Dictionary

go postal en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˌɡəʊ ˈpəʊstl̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌɡoʊ ˈpoʊstəl/ (General-American)

Etymology

From go (“to become”) + postal (“relating to the collection, sorting and delivery of mail”), from a number of incidents, mostly gun violence, perpetrated by disgruntled U.S. Postal Service workers on co-workers in the United States in the mid 1980s.

Meanings

1. (US, informal, intransitive) To become aggressive and erratic, especially due to stress; specifically, to carry out a shooting spree at a workplace environment; also (more generally) to become very angry; to lose one's temper.
   • Violence that spills in from the streets may be less worrisome than the worker rampages, to judge by the attentive audience of personnel managers (and the consultants available for hire) at "A Growing American Phenomenon: Workplace Violence." The symposium was sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service, which has seen so many outbursts that in some circles excessive stress is known as "going postal." Thirty-five people have been killed in 11 post office shootings since 1983. 1993 December 17, Karl Vick, “Violence at work tied to loss of esteem”, in St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, Fla.: The Times Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 4A, column 1:

Forms

Synonyms

get one's dander up · wax wode · lose one's temper · flip one's wig · hit the roof · blow a fuse · fly into a rage · teen · flip one's lid · get bent out of shape · cut up nasty · go off · crash out · go HAM · get one's back up · see red · go H.A.M. · lose one's marbles · blow one's stack · pitch a fit · crash out · have a cow · go ham · lose one's rag · steam · go bitchcakes · cut up rough · go ape · blow a gasket · throw one's toys out of the pram · pop one's cork · fly off the handle · vent one's gall · have kittens · blow one's top · lower the boom · throw a fit · go apeshit · get one's Irish up · go bananas · do one's block · hit the ceiling · shit a brick · Note: All terms are idiomatic unless stated otherwise. · go ballistic · forget oneself · lose it · lose one's cool · go spare · do one's nut · get one's shirt out · flip out · lose one's mind · go postal · run amok · have a fit

Translations (5)

fr péter un câble (to become aggressive and erratic) · hu bekattan (to become aggressive and erratic) · de ausrasten (to become aggressive and erratic) · pt surtar (to become aggressive and erratic) · hu bedilizik (to become aggressive and erratic)