Touch a nerve

Idioms | C1

Listening exercises with “Touch a nerve”

If you touch a nerve, then you say or do something which causes someone to react angrily.

This expression communicates the idea of a sudden and surprising angry reaction, which you weren’t expecting. We normally use the expression after the reaction, to describe what happened.

The origin of the expression is probably dentistry – if a dentist is working on your teeth and touches an exposed nerve, then this will cause a sharp, sudden and painful reaction, almost like an electric shock.

Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?

Accent: Australia