Get under your skin
Meaning
To annoy or affect someone deeply and persistently, often causing irritation or obsession.
Origin
In the early 20th century, the discomfort of an inescapable physical irritant, such as a tenacious splinter, a burrowing parasite, or a persistent rash, provided a visceral foundation for this phrase. The sensation of something literally 'under your skin,' constantly nagging and impossible to ignore, was so universally understood that it naturally became a potent metaphor. This literal, persistent annoyance quickly translated into the emotional realm, describing anything or anyone that bothered a person deeply and persistently, much like an itch that could not be scratched away, leaving them agitated and unable to find peace.
Examples
- Her constant complaining during our trip really started to get under my skin.
- I found his overly confident attitude initially amusing, but now it just gets under my skin.