put the wind up

put the wind up (third-person singular simple present puts the wind up, present participle putting the wind up, simple past and past participle put the wind up)

1. (informal, transitive, British) To frighten or disturb.
   • P. G. Wodehouse

     I find it extraordinarily difficult to explain why it is that she has always put the wind up me to such a frightful extent.

• get the wind up
• have the wind up