Skip to main content

Difference between Needle someone and Put someone on the needle

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.
  1. 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 needleturn 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?