Fig.: to make someone very angry

When I hear that, even in this tragic pandemic, there are men in power who are asking for bribes in order to supply vaccines and masks, it makes my blood boil

Quando sento dire che anche in questa difficilissima situazione di pandemia, ci sono uomini al potere che chiedono tangenti per la distribuzione di vaccini e mascherine, mi fa ribollire il sangue nelle vene

Hearing of people abusing children or animals, for that matter, makes my blood boil

Il sentire storie di crudeltà e abusi verso bambini o verso animali, se è per quello, mi fa ribollire il sangue nelle vene

Don't ever ask Janet about her Broadway career, it will make her blood boil because, after spending all her hard-earned savings in acting lessons and costumes, she was never even called for one audition

Non chiedere a Janet della sua nuova carriera a Broadway se non vuoi farle andare il sangue alla testa. Ha speso tutti i suoi risparmi in lezioni e costumi e non è riuscita nemmeno a fare un provino

This expression, that dates back to the late 1500s, comes from the days when it was a common belief that blood was the seat of emotions: it was hot when someone was excited or angry and cold when a person was calm. Shakespeare, who used it in 1593 in his poem Venus and Adonis (line 574), wrote: