needle someone—(coll.)
1. make smb. angry or annoyed by teasing or provoking the person:
- We kept needling Bill about his new girl friend, but apparently we went too far.
2. prod or goad a person to a specified action:
- A few annoying experiences that have probably happened to many, have needled me into expressing these feelings.
Note: a) The expression does not fully correlate in meaning with the phrase give someone the needle— = needle someone 1:
- He couldn’t resist giving me the needle one more time and still would not admit that I had beat him at his own game.
Cf.: get the needle—(coll.) become irritated or angry because one has been ridiculed, etc.:
- The silly ass got the needle, because she asked for the ring.
- b) The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase
have the needle to someone—(coll.) be extremely angry with a person:
- There will always be some team which will have the needle to a referee and want to get rid of him.
put someone on the needle—turn a person into a drug addict:
- He’s using all his dope allowance now…. You know who put him on the needle and supplied him?