Meaning & use
bee in bonnet
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiominformal
An idea that someone keeps thinking and talking about, often in a slightly annoying way.
Grammar: Used with 'have': have a bee in your bonnet about something.
Patterns
- have a bee in your bonnet about something
- get a bee in your bonnet about something
She has a bee in her bonnet about healthy eating and mentions it at every meal.
He got a bee in his bonnet about the new road and talked about it for weeks.
Don't get a bee in your bonnet over one small mistake.
phraseidiominformal
A strong, fixed interest in one subject that someone cannot stop discussing.
Grammar: Often used with 'about' to name the subject.
Patterns
- a bee in your bonnet about something
My uncle has a bee in his bonnet about old cars.
Her bee in her bonnet is saving the local library.
Common combinations
- have a bee in your bonnet
- She has a bee in her bonnet about recycling.
- get a bee in your bonnet
- He got a bee in his bonnet about the noise and complained daily.
- a bee in your bonnet about something
- They have a bee in their bonnet about the school rules.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: bee in bonnet or bee in one's bonnet?
bee in bonnet vs bee in one's bonnet
This is the same idiom written with 'one's'; the meaning does not change.
Practice
She ___ a bee in her bonnet about the new schedule.
Choose one answer.
The idiom is 'have a bee in your bonnet', so 'has' is correct. 'Is', 'does' and 'makes' do not form the fixed phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bee in bonnet”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.