to make (one) angry; to annoy or irritate. First recorded in 1912, the
origin of this
term is uncertain; however, one
account suggests that goats were often used as stablemates for high-strung racehorses based on the
theory that they had a calming
effect on the horses. Gamblers wanting a certain horse to
lose would steal the goat just before the race, thus making the horse
upset or nervous and throwing off his
performance.