"To be so angry that one's hair stands on end and lifts one's hat" literally means being so furious that one's hair bristles upward and raises one's hat, describing extreme anger. It originates from the Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru. When Lin Xiangru presented the He Shi Bi jade to the King of Qin, because the King of Qin had no intention of honoring his promise, Lin Xiangru "was so angry that his hair stood on end and lifted his hat," displaying tremendous anger and courage. This idiom is commonly used to describe intense emotions erupting when a person is greatly provoked or treated unjustly, and it carries an exaggerated and vivid quality. In cultural context, it embodies the ancients' ultimate expression of the emotion of "anger" and is often used in literary works to heighten the atmosphere. Its emotional coloring is strong, and it is mostly used in a commendatory or neutral sense, emphasizing the righteousness and intensity of anger. In modern usage, it mostly describes a state of extreme anger and applies to individuals or groups.
📝 Example
Hearing that the other party had actually broken their promise and betrayed him, he was so furious that his hair stood on end, and he immediately struck the table and rose to his feet. (Describing extreme anger)
Facing the atrocities of the invaders, the soldiers were so enraged that their hair stood on end, vowing to defend their homeland to the death. (Describing extreme anger that inspires fighting spirit)