blow up like a bullfrog
Get mad and puffed up, or swell from eating too much.
Also called blowed up like a bullfrog, swell up like a bullfrog.
Updated September 21, 2026
blow up like a bullfrog pronunciation
/bloh UP like uh BUL-frog/
Meaning
Picture a bullfrog inflating its throat. Said of a person, it usually means they blew their temper and got all swole with anger. After a big supper it can mean stuffed past comfort. Past tense often comes out blowed up like a bullfrog in regional speech.
How folks use it
- “He blowed up like a bullfrog when they shorted his paycheck.”
- “After that third helping of barbecue, I was blown up like a bullfrog.”
Origin and etymology
Rural Southern and Appalachian talk borrowed the look of a puffed-up bullfrog for people who swell with temper or food. Exact first print is hard to pin. The image is farm-pond obvious, and blowed as past tense fits older Southern English.
Frequently asked questions
Does it only mean angry?
No. Context decides. Temper and too much supper both fit the same frog picture.