Also: get in someone’s hair
Meaning Of Idiom “Be in Someone’s Hair”
1. To be in someone’s hair is to annoy them or bother them, especially when they are busy.
2. To be in someone’s way when they are busy or to be intrusive.
3. To be pestering someone with questions or requests when they are busy.
4. To annoy someone by being present all the time, especially to be close by or, in regards to children, underfoot.
To be in someone’s hair and to get in someone’s hair are interchangeable and hold the same meaning.
A related sister-idiom, used to tell someone who is “in your hair” to stop annoying you, is get out of my hair (get out of someone’s hair).
Sentence Examples
“I need to take a moment and catch my breath. The kids have been in my hair all day and the phone has been ringing nonstop.”
“I need you to watch your little brother and sister today while I get the house cleaned up for grandma’s visit. Make sure they don’t get in my hair, ok?”
“I prefer cats over dogs because cats don’t get in your hair as much.”
“That new kid has been in my hair all day, asking me questions about every little thing.”
“If you’re going to be in my hair you may as well help me clean out this garage, Davie.”
“The boss is in my hair about people swapping schedules. I told him I don’t know what the big deal is, as long as the shifts are covered.”
“Now, don’t get in my hair while I’m adding new idioms to the site. You know how cranky that makes me.”
Origin
Used since the mid-1800s, the idiom “in someone’s hair” may allude to someone being so close that they are physically entangled in one’s hair. It also may have derived from how bothersome, annoying, or uncomfortable it is to have something tangled in your hair.