Touch a nerve

verb

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To make a remark or perform a deed which produces a strong response, especially an emotional response such as anxiety or annoyance, because it calls to mind something which has been a source of concern or embarrassment. idiomatic

    "Louis B. Seltzer, editor of the Cleveland Press, . . . banged out an editorial that raised uncomfortable questions about the state of the U.S. at a moment of world responsibility. His piece touched a nerve: in the following week, 1,000 people had tried to reach him by phone or written him letters or stopped him on the street to talk about it."

Etymology

An allusion to the sharp sensation felt when a dentist or surgeon physically disturbs an exposed nerve.

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