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go postal. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
go postal, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
go postal in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
go postal you have here. The definition of the word
go postal will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
go postal, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From go (“to become”) + postal (“relating to the collection, sorting and delivery of mail”), from a number of incidents, mostly gun violence, perpetrated by disgruntled U.S. Postal Service workers on co-workers in the United States in the mid 1980s.[1]
Pronunciation
Verb
go postal (third-person singular simple present goes postal, present participle going postal, simple past went postal, past participle gone postal)
- (intransitive, chiefly US, informal) To become aggressive and erratic, especially due to stress; specifically, to carry out a shooting spree at a workplace environment; also (more generally) to become very angry; to lose one's temper.
- (to become aggressive and erratic): Synonym: run amok
- (to become very angry): Synonyms: see Thesaurus:lose one's temper
1993 December 17, Karl Vick, “Violence at work tied to loss of esteem”, in St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, Fla.: The Times Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 4A, column 1:Violence that spills in from the streets may be less worrisome than the worker rampages, to judge by the attentive audience of personnel managers (and the consultants available for hire) at "A Growing American Phenomenon: Workplace Violence." The symposium was sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service, which has seen so many outbursts that in some circles excessive stress is known as "going postal." Thirty-five people have been killed in 11 post office shootings since 1983.
Translations
to become aggressive and erratic
References
Further reading
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