What does “auf die Palme bringen” mean in German?

The reporter says the other housemates liked Jeremy more and more — but he often drove his fellow contestants up the wall. The image is funny: someone so annoyed they climb a palm tree to get away from you. It is a light, everyday way to say “he really got on their nerves.” You will hear it in everyday conversation and in news pieces like this one.

Spoken line: “Seine Mitstreiter hingegen brachte er öfters auf die Palme.” — “His fellow contestants, on the other hand, he often drove up the wall.” The idiom is “jemanden auf die Palme bringen” — literally “to bring someone onto the palm tree.” It means to make someone very annoyed or angry, in a light, everyday way, not a serious rage. Examples: - “Der Lärm bringt mich auf die Palme.” — “The noise drives me up the wall.” - “Hör auf, mich auf die Palme zu bringen!” — “Stop winding me up!” - You can flip it: “Ich bin auf der Palme” means “I am fuming.” Usage notes: The person who gets annoyed is the object (mich, sie, ihn). It often pairs with small, repeated things — noise, teasing, someone’s habits — rather than one big shock.