# Touching a nerve **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 21, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touching-a-nerve/772684 "2016-11-21T22:17:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 20
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touching-a-nerve/772684/20 "2016-11-22T08:06:18Z")
In context, the earlier use of “touched a nerve” carries a completely different colloquial meaning. But in the second instance, in the context of disagreement in the conversation, it was this: > [@Stop being the expert \[famous people and political views\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-being-the-expert-famous-people-and-political-views/772543/68): > > …The “I’ve touched a nerve” gambit is IME invariably used to imply that there is some sensitivity of the _listener_ that has caused them to (over)react, but in reality \*the speaker \*has said something idiotic or obnoxious, and it is that (rather than any sensitivity of the listener) which has caused the listener to react strongly… **watchwolf49** , do you disagree with **Princhester** ’s comment (I made a similar one in the thread, but less eloquently, so I quoted his)? Because you said above: > [@watchwolf49](#): > > It’s more than touching a nerve … there’s just certain positions one can’t take on these boards without some group getting ass-hurt … a new poster logs on and if they’re not aware of the taboos fairly often there’s a dog pile … as though “a nerve was touched” … This seems to me an odd interpretation. Imo, the only person overreacting here is OP, who has started an ATMB thread because he’s “ass-hurt” that some people thought both his pro-Pence/Trump RO thesis and his level of discourse were weak sauce. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touching-a-nerve/772684)._