Lose your cool
Meaning
To lose your temper or become visibly angry and agitated, especially when one is expected to remain calm.
Origin
The concept of "cool" as a state of calm, collected composure, especially under pressure, gained significant traction and cultural cachet in 20th-century American English. Emerging strongly from the jazz and beatnik subcultures, "cool" became the epitome of effortless self-control—an ideal state of emotional poise. To "lose your cool" thus signified a dramatic and regrettable departure from this valued composure, allowing anger or frustration to break through one's serene exterior. It captured the moment when a person's carefully maintained tranquility shattered, revealing a turbulent emotional core.
Examples
- After waiting on hold for an hour, he started to lose his cool with the customer service representative.
- It's important to try and not lose your cool during a difficult negotiation, no matter how frustrating it gets.