Meaning
To be preoccupied with a particular idea or concern, often talking about it repeatedly or showing an unusual fixation. The idea may be sensible or eccentric.
Origin
The idiom imagines a bee trapped inside a bonnet or other head covering. Its buzzing and movement would be distracting and hard to ignore, just as an insistent thought can occupy someone’s mind. Bee imagery has appeared in English for centuries in expressions about mental activity, excitement and eccentricity. Related older forms include having bees in one’s head; the bonnet version became particularly familiar in British English. It is risky to assign the phrase to one inventor or incident, since the underlying metaphor developed in popular speech. Modern usage is often gently teasing: someone has a bee in their bonnet about an issue if they keep returning to it, sometimes beyond what others consider reasonable.
Examples
He’s got a bee in his bonnet about office recycling.
My aunt has a bee in her bonnet about people leaving lights on.
She’s had a bee in her bonnet about that rule for months.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Have a bee in your bonnet' mean?
To be preoccupied with a particular idea or concern, often talking about it repeatedly or showing an unusual fixation. The idea may be sensible or eccentric.