I've got a collection of random information in my brain that makes me an awesome Trivial Pursuit partner, but is completely useless when it comes to real world application. Like say, job applications. I thought I'd share some of this random crap with you in the form of another acronym-ific series. I give you - Word Origins from Left Field - that's right, the WOLF. Er... ignore the fact that the "from" doesn't fit.
Flip your lid means to explode with anger. My understanding has always been that the saying has its origins with teakettles. A teakettle left boiling too long holds a tremendous amount of steam pressure and the lid can literally flip or blow off (some people say blow your lid).
But that seemed too simple so I dug a little deeper and a lot of people seem to think that flip your lid originates with the song "Little Deuce Coupe" from the Beach Boys:
She's got a competition clutch with the four on the floor
And she purrs like a kitten till the lake pipes roar
And if that aint enough to make you flip your lid
There's one more thing, I got the pink slip daddy
Well, it's definitely there, but I kind of doubt that the Beach Boys made it up, since teakettles were around a little before they were. I'm guessing they borrowed it, and perhaps cemented the usage as a common idiom?
I can't give you a totally solid answer on this one, but my money is on the teakettle.