Beside Myself

[Baburra]

I was reminded of this idiom just recently, and I got curious and looked it up as I've always kind of got it's essence but never fully understood what it meant or knew how it originated.

Apparently, it's meant to convey extreme emotion such as anger or joy, so much so that your soul figuratively leaves your body - therefore being beside oneself due to said extreme emotion.

Example: "I was beside myself with anger"

Any other variation of this that you know of, or do you have any idioms that you also get the gist of without completely understanding why it is the way it is?

[Gelsemium]

Thanks for sharing this Baburra, it's the first time I hear this idiom and I do love to learn new things. So "I am beside myself with anger" basically means that I was very angry? This sounds rather colloquial though.

[LauraM]

Thanks for sharing this Baburra, it's the first time I hear this idiom and I do love to learn new things. So "I am beside myself with anger" basically means that I was very angry? This sounds rather colloquial though.

Yes, this is an idiom, not colloquial; you can even find it in the dictionary.  Barburra explained it quite well.  To be "beside oneself" is a way to describe an extreme emotional state, so extreme that a person is actually out of control.  It can be any strong emotion, negative or positive.  You can be beside yourself with joy, for instance.  So happy and so excited in your happiness that you almost don't know how to express it.

I think that's the best way to be beside oneself!

[czarina84]

I don't know any other variations of "beside myself".  

One idiom that I never understood the history or relevance to the topic is "paint the town red".  I have no idea how that relates to having a good time.