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Meaning & use

have a cow

phrase·EverydayinformalslangAmerican

Last updated

UK/ˈhæv ə ˈkaʊ/
US/ˈhæv ə ˈkaʊ/

Meaning

  1. phraseidiominformalhumorous

    To react with great anger, panic, or excitement, usually more strongly than the situation deserves.

    Grammar: Has no object; often used in the negative to tell someone to calm down: don't have a cow.

    Patterns

    • have a cow about something
    • have a cow when something happens
    • don't have a cow

    Dad is going to have a cow when he sees the dent in the car.

    Don't have a cow, it's only a scratch on the table.

    My boss had a cow when the printer ran out of paper again.

Word forms

third person singularhas a cow
past tensehad a cow
past participlehad a cow
-ing formhaving a cow

Common combinations

don't have a cow
Don't have a cow, I'll fix the shelf this weekend.
going to have a cow
Mom is going to have a cow when she sees this mess.
have a cow over something
People had a cow over the new logo.
have a cow about something
She had a cow about a missing sock.
about to have a cow
The coach looked about to have a cow after the referee's decision.

Synonyms and how they differ

freak out
Freak out is more widely used and can express fear as well as anger, while have a cow is mostly about an exaggerated angry fuss.
blow a fuse
Blow a fuse describes a sudden burst of anger and is more common in British English.
throw a fit
Throw a fit suggests a visible tantrum, while have a cow can be more about a noisy reaction in words.
go ballistic
Go ballistic is stronger and suggests truly violent rage, whereas have a cow often sounds like an overreaction played for humor.

Opposites

keep calmstay cool

Word family

cow noun
a large farm animal kept for milk, which gives the idiom its image
cowhand noun
a worker who looks after cattle
cowboy noun
a person who herds cattle on horseback

Commonly confused: have a cow or have a calf? have a cow or have kittens?

have a cow vs have a calf

Have a calf literally means to give birth to a calf; it is not an idiom for being upset, so it should not replace have a cow.

have a cow vs have kittens

Have kittens is the British idiom for being extremely worried or angry, and have a cow is mostly American.

Practice

A friend spills a little juice on the carpet and you want to tell them not to overreact. What do you say?

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