push someone's buttons
Also, press someone's buttons. Draw a strong emotional reaction from someone, especially anger or sexual arousal. For example, My mother-in-law really knew how to push my buttons, or A good-looking redhead, she always seemed to press his buttons. This metaphoric expression transfers activating some mechanism by pushing buttons to human emotions. [Slang; 1920s]
Words nearby push someone's buttons
push paper,
push plate,
push poll,
push polling,
push shot,
push someone's buttons,
push the envelope,
push the panic button,
push through,
push up daisies,
push-bike