me saca de quicio

Question

I've just been running through a set of flashcards, and I came across the above phrase (in "everyday phrases!).

Can someone tell me - why "quicio"? According to the dictionary, nerves are los nervious, so I could see the logic in "me saca de nervious", but, again according to the dictionary, el quicio is a door jamb or a hinge.

So what is so irritable about a doorjamb? Does anyone know why that particular word is used in this phrase?

Answer 1

Talking about everyday phrases when you get mad

[sacar de quicio][2]

El quicio es el punto de apoyo sobre el que se mueve y gira la puerta. Cuando una puerta se sale del quicio, se cae.

Las frases

sacar a alguien de quicio

desquiciar a alguien

estar desquiciado

desquiciarse

son expresiones plásticas para indicar que algo irrita a alguien de tal manera que le hace perder la paciencia y el equilibrio.

Expresiones análogas:

perder los estribos sacar a alguien de sus casillas

El sustantivo quicio parece proceder de resquicio ‘abertura que hay entre el quicio y la puerta’.

[2]: http://culturitalia.uibk.ac.at/hispanoteca/Foro-preguntas/ARCHIVO-Foro/Sacar a alguien de quicio.htm

sorry, link does not work, - 00494d19, Nov 12, 2009

Oh I see! Thank you Heidi - I do like to know the reasons behind things. It makes it so much easier to remember. - sheila-foster, Nov 12, 2009

Yes, I agree, I always try to give some kind of association to my students.... - 00494d19, Nov 12, 2009

Answer 2

sacar de quicio ‹ persona › to drive … crazy (colloq); ‹ asunto/tema › (Esp) to blow … up out of all

proportion; me saca de quicio con sus bromitas he really gets on my nerves o he drives me crazy with his stupid little jokes (colloq)

Answer 3

Sacar una cosa de quicio -> to unhinge, to overturn, to violate or pervert

Sacar means to take out --- I'm off my hinges