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"I want to write down every exaggeration, half truth, fib, and bald-facer he utters, so I can gird my fury against him" p.389 Gone Girl

Could someone please explain the meaning of girding your fury against someone? Googling the word, I found that it commonly means to "get ready/prepare for a dangerous situation", but what does it mean in this context? The protagonist is not preparing for a dangerous situation and therefore I still feel perplexed. Is it perhaps an idiom?

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It seems like a bit of a mixed metaphor. Presumably the speaker is thinking of the Biblical expression 'gird up one's loins' (to hitch up the skirts of the robe ready for action). I found this illustration

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  • Thank you, Kate, for your input! I am so grateful for your answer.
    – Manolis Gustavsson
    Apr 6, 2020 at 14:10
  • Cool story, but of course the Bible wasn't written in English, just translated into it. Modern translations say "brace yourself" in place of the expression you quote, which means it isn't really the same context as the OP's question.
    – Astralbee
    Apr 6, 2020 at 14:11
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    @Astralbee Yes, I know, but I meant that it's one of those expressions that have passed into the language from generations of familiarity with the King James Bible, like 'no respecter of persons' and 'a law unto themselves'.
    – Kate Bunting
    Apr 6, 2020 at 14:18
  • @KateBunting Yes I get that point Kate but expressions are made up of words, and the expression "gird your loins" is not what the OP is asking about. It's really just the word "gird" which is not an exclusively biblical word and has a dual meaning of protect and save. You are confusing matters by unnecessarily talking about an expression which uses a different inference of the word to the actual question.
    – Astralbee
    Apr 6, 2020 at 14:37
  • There is a clear allusion in the sentence to the phrase "gird your loins". The word gird is now archaic except in the "gird your loins". The inference of "gird my anger" is "get my anger ready for action" which has nothing to do with the literal meaning of "gird" and everything to do with the phrase "gird your loins".
    – James K
    Apr 6, 2020 at 23:55
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"Gird" literally means to put a protective belt around something.

In a figurative sense, it means to protect, or save / preserve something.

Evidently, the character in the book wants to "save" their fury, which they do by writing down every wrong that is done against them.

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    Thank you so much for taking some of your time to answer my question. Have a great day and please stay safe!
    – Manolis Gustavsson
    Apr 6, 2020 at 14:05

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