flipping a table over in anger; overturning a table in a fit of rage
Refers to the dramatic act of upending a low dining table (ちゃぶ台) in anger, often as a stereotypical gesture of a father's outburst in family settings. Also used figuratively for a sudden, forceful rejection or reset of a situation.
See also: ちゃぶ台
My father got angry and flipped the table over.
His single remark turned the meeting on its head.
ちゃぶ台 is the low dining table itself; ちゃぶ台返し is the act of flipping it over.
Standard mixed kanji-kana spelling; ちゃぶ台 is the common spelling for the low dining table.
Full kanji spelling using 卓袱台 for ちゃぶ台; rarely used in modern writing.
Compound of ちゃぶ台 (chabudai, 'low dining table') and 返し (gaeshi, 'turning over'). The exact origin of the phrase is uncertain, but it is associated with a stereotypical image of an angry father figure in Japanese domestic comedy and drama.