On this program , we take English expressions and explain where they came from and how to use them . In all languages , animals often find themselves in the center of many common expressions . English is no different . Today we focus on the goat ! People have been dealing with goats for a long time . A website on the history of goats , The Goat Guide , says their story dates back many centuries . It claims that people began using the animals as food over 9,000 years ago ! Goats are nosy , social animals . They are strong and can live in any number of environments . They can eat almost anything and a lot of it ! Among all domesticated animals , goats probably have the most going for them . Milk from goats never costs a lot . And goat milk is easy for the body to digest . Their meat is tasty and can be prepared in different ways . In addition , goat hair is used to make some of the finest and softest clothing money can buy . With such a long history and so much going for goats , you would think that English has many expressions with the word goat . But it doesn't . We only found two . And one is just a noun : the word goatee . Now , goats have small , tufts of hair on the lower part of the face . So a goatee is facial hair in about the same part of the chin on a man . It looks a little like the beard on a male goat . The Merriam-Webster Dictionary claims that the word goatee first appeared in 1841 . At that time , a goatee only meant hair growing on a man's chin , much like a goat's . However , by the 1990s , the word had come to mean any facial hair that is on the chin but not higher up on the cheeks . So it also involved men wearing a mustache . Some would argue -- and people who study men's facial hair do -- that a true goatee is only hair on the chin . The next goat-related expression is more interesting -- to get someone's goat . Hearing this expression the first time , you might think it means to steal someone's goat . But that is wrong . That's a good question . The answer is … we're not so sure . Apparently , one way people could get milk was from a goat . So naturally , taking the animal would anger its owner . Another explanation has to do with horseracing . In the 1900s , people who trained horses were said to have put goats near racehorses to keep them calm . Just before the race , the goat was removed . This would , supposedly , make the horse nervous and ready to run . However , there is no evidence to support this explanation . People who study languages for a living have a name for it -- folk etymology . Another term for it is an urban legend . In earlier times , “to get your goat ” had another meaning . If something got your goat , it could have made you nervous or worried . "Your turn ," he called across . "But just keep a-coming and don't look down . That's what got my goat . And get a move on . It's almighty rotten ." Here , he means looking down made him feel frightened . Americans don't really use the expression in this way any longer . It is a good example of how the meaning of an expression can change over time . Let's talk about some other words that mean the same as "got someone's goat .” We have already used the word "annoy ." Some similar words are aggravate , bother and bug . You can also irk and vex someone . So , something that gets your goat is irksome or vexing . And if someone has gotten your goat , you could also say he or she has rubbed you the wrong way . With all of these expressions , it can be an action that gets your goat or a person who gets your goat . Let's say you work with someone who doesn't clean up after herself . You can say , she really gets your goat . Now , if something often gets your goat or rubs you the wrong way , it can become a pet peeve . Pet peeves are those seemingly small things that get on your nerves . While a person can get your goat or get on your nerves , he or she cannot be called a “pet peeve .” But their actions can ! Is it a big deal ? But it gets my goat , nonetheless . So , what gets your goat ? What rubs you the wrong way ? Do you have any pet peeves ?