expressions - Less vulgar alternative to "bee up my butt"


In my corner of the world, the two exressions given in the accepted answer to this question have become conflated. Now, to "have a bee up one's butt" is to have a sudden and obsessive need to do something one does not normally do.


Example uses:



Alice: So what made you want to plant a garden in your front yard?


Bob: I don't know. I guess I just got a bee up my butt.



Or



Dave: Where has Eve been all week?


Char: Ah, you know how it is. She and her husband got bees up their butts and flew off for a tropical vacation.



While the "butt" variant is not blatantly obscene, it is perhaps not suitable for all social situations. I suppose the original version with "bonnet" is better, but seems a bit antiquated- when did you last see anyone wearing a bonnet?


Is there an expression or idiom that would:



  • Be acceptable in polite company

  • Convey a similar whimsy

  • Fit in with modern fashion and norms



Answer



If you want to convey a sense of a sudden desire to take drastic action in a graphic way without any impropriety you might say, "He got a burr under his saddle." If a horse you are riding accidently gets a burr under the saddle he will start bucking, twitching, and snorting for no apparent reason. This was a common expression in western movies in the USA. I've never been on a horse, myself. If you want to be vulgar just change it to "He got a burr up his ass."


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